His Secrets
by starzee
Summary: A story set from episode 2x20 involving Damon, a dark Queen and a bubbly blonde in a magical other world called the Dark Dimension and everything that place entails...
1. Introductions

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

I couldn't get this idea out of my head and it just seemed to work with Damon's impending doom...

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><p>His Secrets<p>

Chapter 1 - Introductions

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><p>Klaus was dead, Elena and Bonnie were fine and he could die knowing that everything was right again. Damon sat in front of the fire in the boarding house, knowing he had a day or two if that before the werewolf bite ended his life. As much as he was sure he loved Elena, that's not where his mind was just then. He had to call her. He had to see them. Just one last time. He fished out his phone from his pocket and dialled her number, not caring that it was almost three in the morning.<p>

"_Hey sweetie."_ She said happily but tiredly.

"You're in a good mood, Daisy." He noted with a little humour, if only she knew.

"_Valentina was just asking earlier when she could see you again. You have impeccable timing."_ She laughed. _"Apart from the fact that I was fast asleep and everything."_

"You know me." He smirked.

"_Same time as usual? We all miss you, you know."_ She said.

"I miss you too. But no, I have a bit of a problem and I need you to round everyone up and come to Mystic Falls. Please, Dais, it's important." He said and she caught the sadness in his voice.

"_Damon, what's going on?"_ She asked warily.

"Werewolf bite. I don't have long." He said urgently.

"_We'll be right there."_ She said then hung up. Damon could feel himself getting tired and fast. He slipped into unconsciousness, comfortable in the knowledge he would see them soon.

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><p>Elena and Stefan were fast asleep upstairs when Stefan woke up due to panicked knocking at the door. It was just after five in the morning. This couldn't be good. He checked and saw Elena was awake too. She started to get up when he tried to stop her.<p>

"I'll go." He said to her.

"I'll come with you." She said pointedly and he knew he couldn't talk her into staying in bed. They made their way downstairs and saw Damon passed out on the couch. Elena had been really worried about him but he'd refused to let her stay with him. She didn't like that. They made their way to the door and were stunned to see a beautiful tall woman with fire red hair holding a sleeping toddler against her chest in one arm and holding the hand of a little girl that couldn't have been older than seven years old.

"Hello." Elena said as the mystery woman and Stefan stood glaring at each other. He looked like he'd seen a ghost and she just looked furious and full of hatred.

"Did Damon call you?" Stefan finally asked quietly.

"You know he did. Are you going to let me in to see him or not?" The woman seethed and Elena felt truly confused as to what was going on.

"Hi, I'm..."

"The second doppelganger, I know." She mumbled as she nudged past Stefan and walked in to the house towing the little girl with her. Elena stared after her in shock, unsure of what to think. She followed into the room after the woman and saw her place the sleeping boy on one couch as the little girl gently stroked Damon's face. Elena was sure she was dreaming. Why would a child be stroking Damon's face? The woman finished wrapping the little boy in a blanket that she had taken out from a bag then turned to Damon with a sad but fond look on her face. She kneeled down next to the little girl. "Sweetie, it's late. Why don't you go for a little nap and I'll wake you when he wakes up?" She asked the little girl.

"Do I have to?" The little girl eyed the woman sceptically.

"What do you think?" The woman smirked at the child.

"Ok mama, can I sleep next to Jonah?" The little girl asked. "He does have my blanket after all." The little girl crossed her arms over her chest in a little sign of attitude.

"Just don't wake him, Valentina." She said knowingly.

"I won't. Good night, mama." The little girl kissed her mother on the cheek then turned to Damon. "Get better." She whispered then kissed his cheek before climbing up on the couch her brother was sleeping on and made herself comfortable.

"Night, Valley." Her mother smiled fondly. Within minutes she was asleep then the woman made herself comfortable next to Damon. Stefan and Elena still stared at them. Damon woke up about two hours later and he blinked sleepily. "I thought you were going to sleep forever." The woman smirked as he sat up slowly and smiled at her.

"Dais." He sighed happily then hugged her and she hugged back just as fiercely. "That was fast." He chuckled quietly before noticing the two sleeping children and he grinned then the smile faded.

"We'll figure something out, Damon. This can't be it. I won't let it be." Daisy said as a tear slipped down her cheek.

"A wolf told me there was no cure." Damon said sadly.

"And what am I?" She said mock offended. "Some common palm reader?" She smirked and Damon laughed lightly, oblivious to Stefan and Elena staring at them, still keeping watch.

"No, but don't waste your breath." Damon said as he stroked her cheek.

"I won't let you die." She whispered back. "I need you. They need you."

"I know." He nodded. "Fine, if you can figure something out before I croak, I'll go with it." Damon conceded.

"Care to explain what's going on?" Elena said a little angrily and Damon's head snapped to the side.

"Keep your voice down." He hissed. "The kids are sleeping." He added and she gaped at him.

"Sorry." She whispered.

"Why don't you two go back to bed and I'll explain later?" Damon suggested and Elena stood defiantly.

"Happily." Stefan said sarcastically and went back upstairs, leaving Elena alone.

"I'm not tired anymore." She said quietly. "Can I just stay?" She asked.

"If you must." Daisy replied shortly her eyes glaring at the retreating form of Stefan and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Fine, just keep it down." He said and she nodded and hurried over to a chair. Daisy sat next to Damon and he slung an arm around her as she lay her cheek against his shoulder. Elena was surprised to see Damon do something so affectionate, considering she didn't even know who this woman was. "Where are the other three?" Damon asked Daisy curiously.

"On the way." Daisy nodded. "Charlotte was in Boston, Noelle was in Mexico and Daniel was in Canada. They said they'd be here as quickly as they could." She promised.

"Couldn't you just have zapped them here?" Damon laughed and Daisy's facial expression was fierce.

"Not with your brother in the house." She said and Damon's expression became grim.

"I get it." He nodded.

"What's going on?" Elena pleaded quietly.

"You'll find out soon enough doppelganger." Daisy retorted, already hating the girl. Elena was kind of afraid of the woman sitting beside Damon so she decided not to push it. She was curious as to why Damon wasn't sticking up for her though. They sat in near silence for another hour and a half until little Valentina yawned and sat up sleepily and Damon grinned.

"Morning Valley." Damon smirked preparing himself. She beamed at him before dashing into his waiting arms.

"Daddy!" The little girl cheered and Elena's jaw dropped.


	2. Daddy

I don't own The Vampire Diaries characters or storyline, but I do own Daisy and everything she entails.

Another short chapter for cliffhanger's sake lol next one will be longer!

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><p>His Secrets<p>

Chapter 2: Daddy

_Dedicated to Damon's 86 for the funniest review ever!_

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><p>Valentina hugged her small arms around his neck and he squeezed her gently, grinning like an idiot. Valentina's quick movements woke her brother and he blinked sleepily and groaned.<p>

"Are you better now, Daddy?" Valentina peered at him, while sitting on his lap.

"I'm better now that you're here." He smiled at her and she frowned.

"But you're not really physically better are you?" She asked him sceptically.

"You're a little smartass." He laughed and she grinned.

"Dad?" Jonah huffed as he sat up.

"Morning Jojo." Damon grinned at the boy and beckoned him over. Jonah rolled on his stomach and edged his way over the side of the couch so he could stand up. He walked over to Damon sleepily and Damon helped him up on his lap next to Valentina. He hugged the boy who hugged him back. "You're so not a morning person." Damon laughed.

"Daddy?" Jonah asked looking at him curiously.

"Jonah?" Damon smirked.

"Are you going to die?" He asked.

"It's a bit late." Damon said jokingly and the little boy beamed at him.

"You're a silly daddy." Jonah giggled.

"I'm silly?" Damon looked at the boy with mock horror. "I don't think so. I'm dashing and cool and awesome." Damon told the boy and Jonah shook his head dramatically while smiling.

"No, you're just silly." Jonah laughed and Damon chuckled.

"You have kids?" Elena finally asked after she watched the interaction and Damon looked up curiously as if he had totally forgotten that she was there.

"Clearly." Damon smirked.

"How?" Elena asked.

"It helps when you know the right people." He smirked and looked at Daisy.

"Are they half vampires?" Elena asked curiously.

"No, we're human." Valentina replied. "Who are you?" She asked curiously.

"I'm Elena." Elena smiled at the little girl who really did look like Damon except she had blonde hair. She still had his ice blue eyes though. "How old are you and Jonah?" She asked.

"I'm eight and Jonah's three." She replied. "Are you a vampire?" She asked curiously.

"No, I'm human." Elena smiled then there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it."

"It's probably Charlotte." Daisy said.

"You'll have to invite her in." Damon said to Elena and she nodded. Damon wanted to go to the door but didn't want to admit how weak he was feeling so he stayed. Valentina jumped off his lap and ran after Elena. Elena opened the door to a short haired blonde woman who was no older than 22 who also had his eyes.

"Hi, sorry to bother you I'm looking for..." The woman began before Valentina caught up.

"Charlie!" Valentina shouted with glee and jumped up into the waiting arms of the vampire.

"Hey V!" She replied just as excited as she hugged the tiny girl.

"Where have you been? I haven't seen you in forever!" Valentina scolded.

"I'm sorry, V. I was in Boston, working. It's only been a month." She said to the child then turned to Elena. "Hi, I'm Charlotte. Can I come in?" She asked.

"Of course. I'm Elena." She replied.

"Thanks, Elena." The girl smiled sweetly then entered the house still holding Valentina on her hip. She walked straight to the room where everyone else was. "Hey, dad." She smiled sadly. "How did you get into this mess?" She asked.

"Thanks for coming, Charlotte." Damon smiled at her and Elena was surprised to see how much love he had for her.

"How was your flight?" Daisy asked.

"I didn't get one, Dais." She laughed. "You called and I literally ran here."

"From Boston?" She asked surprised.

"Yeah." She laughed.

"You're such a daddy's girl." Daisy laughed.

"They all are." Damon said.

"I'm not a girl!" Jonah protested.

"Are you sure?" Damon asked sceptically and Jonah looked positively affronted.

"Daddy! I'm a boy! Like you!" Jonah said and Damon mussed his hair.

"Damn straight." Damon smirked.

"Dad, don't swear in front of him." Charlotte chastised then leaned down and kissed his cheek. "I missed you." She said.

"How many kids do you have?" Elena asked surprised.

"Five." Damon shrugged. "Though, Charlotte was conceived while I was human."

"Before Katherine?" Elena asked curiously and Daisy and Charlotte gave her a look.

"Yes, obviously." Damon smirked. "Charlotte, there's blood downstairs in the basement." Damon nodded to the door.

"I'm fine, I hunted on the way." She shrugged and sat down. Valentina immediately went and sat beside her, smiling up at her big sister. "Are Noelle and Daniel coming?" She asked.

"On the way." Daisy confirmed and smiled at her.

"I'm surprised Noelle is coming." Damon said sadly.

"She still loves you, Dad. No matter what." Charlotte said soothingly.

"We'll see." He shrugged. "But we can talk about that later." Damon warned her and she understood that he didn't want to talk about it in front of Elena.

"I can't believe Stefan is still sleeping." Elena said awkwardly, knowing she shouldn't be here.

"He isn't." Damon said. "He left earlier."

"Why?" Elena asked surprised.

"Because I'm here." Daisy said with a shrug.

"Why would he do that?" She asked.

"She doesn't know?" Daisy asked Damon in disbelief.

"No." He shook his head. "But I don't want small ears hearing that particular story." Damon said to her.

"Got it." Daisy nodded. "Is there a witch around here?" She asked him.

"Yeah, but she won't help you." Damon said.

"Why?" She asked curiously.

"She hates me." Damon said.

"What did you do?" She asked knowingly and Damon rolled his eyes and gave her his hand. She held it for a moment and Elena saw her eyes flicker. "Oh. Looks to me like she already exacted her vengeance on you." She shrugged. "Besides, she's my ancestor. She might listen to me. You were supposed to look out for her." She scolded. Elena gaped at her.

"What?" Elena asked.

"Fine, I'll call her." Damon conceded and pulled out his phone, dialling her number.

"_What do you want, Damon?"_ She asked without greeting.

"Can you come over to the boarding house? There's someone I'd like you to meet." Damon said.

"_Who?"_ Bonnie asked suspiciously.

"Your ancestor. She is the origin of your magic." He said and she was silent.

"_You mean..."_ Bonnie choked.

"Yes." Damon grinned.

"_I'll be there in 10 minutes."_ She said and hung up.

"So she's heard of me." Daisy laughed.

"Emily probably wrote about you in the Grimoire." Damon shrugged.

"Well I hope she was nice about me." Daisy replied.

"What's not to be nice about?" Damon smirked.

"I would appreciate it if you left." Daisy said to Elena. "I don't want you to know who I really am." She said and Elena's face hardened.

"Damon!" She exclaimed.

"You cannot be trusted." Daisy said and Elena glared at Damon.

"It's not my secret, Elena." Damon said to her.

"But Bonnie knows." Elena whined and Daisy eyed Damon with humour and disbelief.

"It surprises me that you would associate with her." Daisy said to Damon while gesturing towards Elena.

"Daisy." Charlotte said. "You don't have to be rude."

"It's just my opinion." She shrugged.

"Still." Charlotte said.

"Fine, can we go somewhere else to speak to Bonnie?" Daisy said to Damon exasperated.

"Why do you dislike me so much?" Elena asked.

"A multitude of reasons." Daisy shrugged.

"Like?" Elena asked.

"One, you are a doppelganger. Two, the company you keep. Three, you just seem to have no manners." Daisy said casually.

"Dais, the house is in her name. Daniel won't be able to get in without her invitation." Damon said.

"Fine." Daisy smirked and she got up and walked over to Elena and looked into her eyes. "You will go upstairs and go to sleep until I tell you to wake up." Daisy compelled and Elena did just that. Daisy sat back down next to Damon and surveyed the room then smiled. "Much better." She said and Charlotte looked disappointed.

"If you had just asked her nicely, I'm sure she would have left." Charlotte said.

"There's no point in arguing about it." Damon intervened. "It's done and we have stuff to talk about." Bonnie arrived minutes later and Damon got up and slowly went to the door. "Thanks for coming, Bonnie." He said and stepped aside, allowing her to enter.

"You don't look so good." Bonnie pointed out. "What happened?"

"Werewolf bite." Damon shrugged and Bonnie gaped at him.

"But that means..." She started.

"Not if I can help it." Daisy smiled at the young witch and Bonnie stared at her in disbelief then surprised everyone by kneeling in front of her.

"Queen Aibreann Kera Morrigan Endellion." Bonnie said in awe.

"It's nice to meet you Bonnie, but you are not a subject... you are family so stand up, please." Daisy said fondly. "And I go by Daisy when I'm not in the Dark Dimension." She added and Bonnie stood up and stared at her.

"It's so nice to meet you Queen... Daisy." Bonnie said after receiving a look from Damon.

"It's nice to finally meet you too. I'm glad Damon's kept an eye on you for me." She smiled and Bonnie gaped.

"How do you know each other?" Bonnie asked.

"It's a very long story and one I would be happy to tell, but we are in a bit of a time crunch at the moment. We need to fix him." She said urgently.

"The bite?" Bonnie asked.

"Yes." Damon nodded.

"I thought it was fatal?" She asked surprised.

"It is normally, but I have a few ideas." Daisy replied.

"Let's go sit." Damon suggested and Bonnie nodded. They walked into the main room and Bonnie was surprised to see two children and another vampire. "This is Charlotte, Valentina and Jonah." Damon pointed with a smile.

"How do you know them?" Bonnie asked.

"They're my kids." Damon said absently with a smile as he watched his oldest daughter sitting on the floor with the two little ones playing legos.

"I did not see this coming." Bonnie said honestly and shocked.

"He may be a bit of a jackass but he's a great father, Bonnie." Daisy said to her.

"Hi Bonnie." Charlotte turned and smiled at her then turned back to the kids.

"Hi." Bonnie replied a little choked. When she got up this morning she never would have imagined that Damon had children and on top of that with her ancestor. Nor that she would meet her ancestor who was also Queen of the Dark Dimension.

"I was wondering if the werewolf that bit Damon is dead." Daisy said.

"No, he's alive." Damon said and Daisy looked surprised.

"Wow, I was sure you would have ripped his heart out by now." Daisy replied.

"I can't." Damon shrugged.

"Well, I can." Daisy said annoyed.

"Please, don't." Damon said to her and Bonnie was surprised. "He's not a bad kid, he just couldn't control his transformation and I got in the way."

"Fine, but we still need him. Bonnie and I should be able to work up a counteraction spell with his blood." Daisy said.

"Yeah, I don't think he'll agree to that. I killed his uncle." Damon told her.

"So? Both are irrelevant to me. They are wolves. They should all be dead." Daisy countered.

"Tyler bit you?" Bonnie asked surprised and Damon nodded.

"A werewolf named Tyler?" Daisy laughed. "That's funny."

"No funnier than the dark queen calling herself Daisy." Damon teased and her expression deadpanned.

"It's better than Aibreann Kera Morrigan Endellion." Daisy countered.

"You could just pick one of them instead of all four." Damon chuckled. "What about just Kera?" He suggested.

"Daisy is fine for now. You know I change my name every half a century or so." She shrugged.

"I know." Damon smiled.

"Anyway, this is beside the point. We need to come up with a solution." Daisy said. "I have two but both have consequences." She said just as the front door opened and Elijah came in.

"Great, what do you want?" Damon huffed.

"If you weren't dying I would end you, so watch your mouth." Elijah said before he noticed Daisy.

"Damon is under my protection." Daisy said and Elijah gaped at her.

"Like that'll matter. The guy's a creep." Damon quipped.

"Have you been unkind to him?" Daisy asked Elijah angrily and before he could speak, Daisy had him pinned against a wall by the throat and her eyes had changed so her irises glowed fiery red and he had the good sense to look afraid.

"Wait... Is he... Is Damon Salvatore the Damon you talk about?" Elijah asked in disbelief and she let go of him and her eyes changed back to their frosty light green colour.

"Yes." She smirked.

"But that makes him..." Elijah said wide eyed.

"Your step father." She replied and both Bonnie and Damon gasped in pure shock.


	3. Family

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

Sorry for taking so long to post this!

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><p>His Secrets<p>

Chapter 3:

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><p>"You want to say that again?" Damon asked after a few minutes of silence.<p>

"Elijah is my son." Daisy said with a shrug.

"But if Elijah is your son..." Damon said wide eyed.

"So was Klaus." She finished.

"I didn't know." Damon said sadly.

"I know you didn't, sweetie, but he made his bed. If I had known the extent of his plans I would have stopped him earlier." She said bitterly. "I forbade him from breaking that curse, but clearly that didn't matter. I don't know what happened to him. When he was young, he was such a sweet boy."

"So you are all of the Original's mother?" Damon asked.

"Yes, well I'm the mother to the group of vampires that call themselves the originals. They aren't actually the original vampires though." She explained.

"That's what you told us, mother." Elijah said outraged.

"I was hoping that you all would take on the responsibility to protect the earth from evil instead of becoming beacons of destruction." She snapped.

"I'm not a beacon of destruction." Elijah muttered.

"Really?" Daisy cocked an eyebrow. "I saw your recent memories when I touched you. Didn't look like you were doing much good. Stabbing Damon through the neck with pencils? I could kill you for that." Daisy fumed.

"He healed." Elijah muttered.

"Wait – I just got that you said step-father. Are you two married?" Bonnie asked in disbelief and Damon chuckled.

"Yes." Damon nodded.

"But it's a very open marriage." Daisy said.

"Her choice, not mine." Damon pointed out.

"Anyway." Daisy glared at Damon. "Elijah, make yourself useful and go get the werewolf that bit Damon." She said and he huffed.

"Yes, mother. Is it Tyler Lockwood?" He asked and she nodded then he was gone.

"You said there were two options, but both had consequences." Bonnie said.

"Well, one option would be to make Damon a vampire like Elijah, but I'd really rather not do that." She said and Damon cocked an eyebrow.

"Don't those types of vampires still die from a wolf bite?" Damon asked curiously.

"Yes, but to become a vampire like that you have to die a second time." Daisy said.

"Why would you rather I didn't do that?" Damon asked.

"Because you're bad enough now when you turn your emotions off, as that type of vampire you would feel the temptation to turn them off even more." She explained.

"What's the other option?" Bonnie asked, really not wanting emotionless Damon around again.

"He won't like the other option because of his feelings for that wretched doppelganger." She rolled his eyes.

"Well if you hadn't wanted a 'break' we wouldn't be having this conversation. You're not exactly allowed to be jealous." Damon pointed out and she huffed.

"We can argue about that later." Daisy rolled her eyes.

"Fine. What's the second option?" Damon asked.

"You take your rightful place by my side in the dark dimension." She said and Bonnie's eyes widened. Damon thought about that for a moment. He'd get to see his kids all the time. What did he have left in this dimension? Elena loved his brother, he didn't care about Katherine anymore, the threat was gone with Klaus dead...

"What would that entail?" Bonnie asked.

"He would become like me and be the Prince of the Dark Dimension and help me rule over it." She shrugged.

"What do you mean, like you?" Bonnie asked curiously.

"Bonnie, as you are of my blood, I can tell you, but this must never be repeated nor put down in a Grimoire." She said and Bonnie nodded. "I am a combination demon. I am all of the supernatural creatures rolled into one. I am part vampire, part succubus, part skin walker and yes even part werewolf." She rolled her eyes. "Though that one disgusts me." She muttered.

"I'll do it if you stop with the open marriage thing." Damon said to her sincerely and her jaw dropped.

"Damon, eternity is a very, very long time." She said to him. "What about no dating?" She asked sceptically and he thought about it.

"No children with anyone else, no dating, but you can sleep with whoever you want." Damon said in compromise.

"If I agree to that, you'll really do it?" She asked with a very happy smile.

"Yes." Damon nodded to her and she grinned then sped over to him and kissed him.

"I missed you." She smiled at him as they hadn't kissed in a very long time.

"I missed you too." Damon grinned back at her and Bonnie really couldn't understand what was going on. If Damon was married, why did he go to Mystic Falls to get Katherine? If he wanted to be with Daisy so much, why did he have feelings for Elena?

"It's about time you two got back together." Charlotte smiled at them.

"Well, I guess you can call Noelle and Daniel and tell them I'm not going to die." Damon said to Daisy.

"You need to talk to Noelle. This silent treatment's been going on for two decades." Daisy replied annoyed.

"She can't see that she was wrong and I'm not going to apologise for protecting her." Damon shrugged.

"He was her fiancé, Damon." Daisy replied. "They were together for ten years, you don't just forget that." She said.

"He was planning to kill her." Damon said in disbelief. "How can you take her side on this?"

"Because she's my daughter and I love her." Daisy replied. "Doesn't mean I wouldn't have done the exact same thing, but you were totally heartless about it." She chastised.

"Yeah, well. Protecting my girls and Jonah and Daniel is top priority." Damon replied with a shrug. "Anyway, how long will the pull last for me?" Damon asked her.

"What's the pull?" Bonnie asked curiously.

"There's only so long that I can stay in this dimension before I have to go back to the dark dimension." Daisy replied. "As in I physically must go back." She said.

"So that would be the same for Damon?" Bonnie asked.

"Yes, but his would be worse than mine since I'm so much older. He would be a new combination demon. Of course it helps that he was a vampire for a while. But if I were to guess, I would say out of every week you could probably spend about two days in this dimension." She shrugged.

"As much as that?" Damon asked surprised and she nodded. "I have no reason to be in this dimension apart from Charlotte, Daniel and Noelle anyway." He shrugged. "And since Noelle doesn't speak to me and Daniel's always off exploring, it only leaves Charlie so that's doable." Damon nodded as he thought it over.

"I'd miss you, you know." Charlotte said to Damon fondly.

"Charlie, who are you trying to kid? You spend half of your time in the dark dimension with the kids." Daisy giggled.

"I love them." Charlotte smiled widely.

"I love you too." Valentina smiled at her big sister.

"I love you three." Jonah said to her and everyone laughed. "What's so funny?" The little boy asked confused.

"Now you're the silly one." Damon smirked at him and Jonah laughed.

"No, you're silly, Daddy." Jonah said.

"We've already talked about this, Jojo." Damon replied amused and the boy laughed.

"Yes, Daddy, I remember. You said you were cool and dashing and awesome and I said you were silly then you said I was a girl." Jonah screwed up his face to show how much he didn't like that and everyone laughed. Bonnie was stunned at how relaxed Damon looked when he looked at his kids.

"That was terrible of me, wasn't it?" Damon asked amused.

"That's okay, Daddy. It's because you're silly." Jonah pointed out seriously and Damon chuckled.

"Want to fly?" Damon asked him and Jonah grinned then jumped up and ran over to Damon.

"You sure that's a good idea with you being weak, Dad?" Charlotte asked sceptically.

"Are you seriously trying to give me parenting advice? I raised you all by myself and look how you turned out. You're like the nicest girl ever." Damon pointed out to her and she smiled.

"All by yourself, huh? And what about me?" Daisy asked Damon amused.

"She was already a teenager when I met you." Damon replied.

"Yeah, but she's still my mother even if she isn't biologically." Charlotte said and Daisy smiled lovingly at her.

"You're such a sweetie, Charlie." Daisy replied. "You definitely didn't get that from your dad." She said and Charlotte laughed.

"I can be sweet." Damon said affronted and Bonnie laughed.

"Yeah, right." Bonnie smirked at him.

"Can so." Damon smirked back. "Anyway, flight time." Damon said as Jonah was tapping his foot impatiently and Damon chuckled at him. Damon lifted him up on his shoulders. "Hold on tight, Jonah." Damon said stretching up his arms to hold Jonah's hands so his arms were out like wings. "Ready?" Damon asked him and Bonnie watched in amazement.

"Ready!" Jonah exclaimed then Damon zoomed around the room with him at half vampire speed and the little boy yelled in glee and giggled loudly. "More, Daddy!" Jonah said when Damon stopped a few minutes later.

"In a little while." Damon said then put him down. "I'll get some blood then we'll do it again, okay?" Damon asked him.

"If you're too sick to do it, Daddy, we can do it another time." Jonah said a little fearfully and Damon kneeled down in front of him. He could see that his little son was really worried about it.

"You don't have to worry, Jojo." Damon smiled at him softly then stroked his little cheek. "I'm not going anywhere." Damon said seriously.

"Promise?" Jonah asked in a tiny little voice with the saddest little face Bonnie had ever seen.

"Promise." Damon nodded. "And, your mama's making me like her so it means I'm going to see you even more now." Damon said and Jonah grinned so widely his smile almost touched his ears.

"Really, Daddy? We'll get to have you there all the time?" Jonah exclaimed happily and Damon chuckled. Bonnie noticed how much Damon's children adored him.

"Of course." Damon grinned then Jonah jumped on him and hugged him. Damon was so weak he landed on his back with the tiny boy attached to his chest but he just laughed. Charlotte sent him a worried look, considering an almost four year old took him down.

"You sure you're okay, Dad?" Charlotte asked.

"Everything's fine, Charlotte." Damon smiled at her but she could see that he was really pale.

"I'll get you some blood, Dad. You said it was downstairs, right?" She asked him softly.

"Yeah it is; thank you. What would I do without you, angel?" Damon asked her lovingly and she giggled.

"Let's never find out." She replied and he laughed.

"Agreed." Damon nodded. Daisy walked over and lifted Jonah off of Damon then helped Damon over to the couch while Charlotte rushed down for blood. She brought up a few bags for him then went into the kitchen and poured it into a mug and heated it up. "Thanks." Damon winked at her and she kissed his cheek then walked back over to where Valentina and Jonah were playing with legos and sat down with them. "Dais, if we're doing this thing, why do we need Tyler Lockwood?" Damon asked her.

"Blood sacrifice." She shrugged.

"Doesn't that mean his death?" Bonnie asked in disbelief.

"No." Daisy shook her head. "Though, he is a wolf." She conceded.

"Don't kill him, Dais." Damon said sternly and she rolled her eyes.

"Fine. Think he'd want to be human again?" She asked perking up.

"Do I look like I read minds?" Damon teased her and she laughed.

"Ass." She smirked then there was a knock at the door.

"I'll go." Damon said with a sigh and Daisy raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. Damon got up and trudged to the door. When he opened it, there stood Noelle. "Hi, baby." Damon said to her softly and she took in his ghastly appearance and her jaw dropped.

"How the hell did you get your stupid old ass bitten?" She asked him angrily and he smirked at her. She was obviously worried about him and that was a major step forward for them.

"Protecting another vampire." Damon replied with a shrug and she cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Who is this other vampire?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Why?" Damon asked her amused.

"Does she know what you did for her?" Noelle asked annoyed and Damon chuckled.

"Stop with the attitude." Damon smirked at her. "Daisy, get Elena to invite Noelle in." Damon called. Moments later Elena came to the door.

"Come in, Noelle." Elena said blankly then went right back up the stairs. Noelle stood and looked at Damon for a second then surprised him by throwing her arms around his neck and crushing him to her. He returned her embrace immediately. Noelle had been the apple of his eye, not that he had favourites, but the two of them had been inseparable for most of her life and he'd missed her terribly.

"You know your mother won't let me die, baby." Damon said to her softly and he felt her nod against his shoulder. She was like him, she didn't handle emotions well and knew her voice would crack if she tried to speak. "C'mon." Damon said to her nodding inside the house and she wiped her eyes and walked inside. Daisy went over to her and hugged her.

"Hey, sweetie." Daisy said.

"Hi, mom." She said back. "Hey, Char." She smiled at her sister and Charlotte grinned at her.

"Ellie!" Valentina exclaimed and ran up to her and hugged her.

"Hey, Valley. You been a good girl?" Noelle asked with a smile. Bonnie looked at her and noticed she had almost black curly hair that came down just past her shoulders; she was only about two inches shorter than Damon and had his blue eyes and was stunningly gorgeous.

"No, she's full of attitude these days." Daisy laughed and Noelle smirked at her. Bonnie was blown away at just how much of a Damon smirk that was.

"Don't listen to Mama, she's just pissed at Elijah." Valentina said and Damon snapped his head to her.

"Language, Valentina." Damon warned and the cocky little smile that had been on her face faded. She knew he was serious when he used her full name.

"Sorry, Daddy." She said in a small voice.

"I won't tell you that again." Damon warned her and she nodded. "I told you that you can say whatever you want when you turn eighteen, so in ten years you can swear as much as you like." Damon smirked at her and she giggled. He didn't like being strict with them and always made sure that they knew he wasn't mad at them.

"Why are you pissed at Elijah?" Noelle smirked at Daisy and Damon rolled his eyes and sat back down. Valentina went up and sat beside Damon and gave him a questioning look.

"How come Ellie can swear?" She asked Damon quietly.

"Because she's 82 years old." Damon replied and Valentina giggled.

"Wait – who is Elijah?" Noelle cocked an eyebrow.

"Your half brother. You haven't met him since you were little." Daisy shrugged.

"You don't want to. The guy is a..." Damon said noticing Valentina staring at him intently. "Not nice man." Damon said looking at her amused and she giggled.

"Is this you trying to set a good example?" Valentina asked him.

"You're a little smartass." Damon replied and she laughed.

"Jonah, don't I get a hug?" Noelle asked Jonah and he looked over at her and promptly ignored her.

"Jonah? Don't be rude." Daisy said to him in warning and he scowled at her.

"Why don't you want to hug your sister?" Damon asked him.

"Because she doesn't like me." Jonah said sadly then turned his head to look at his legos again.

"Of course I do! I love you, Jonah." Noelle said and the little boy shook his head.

"No you don't. You never come visit us and I heard you say you were too busy to see us." He replied in a tiny voice.

"Jonah, Noelle loves you. Go give her a big hug." Charlotte encouraged him with a smile.

"Don't want to." He replied.

"Jonah." Damon said in his warning tone.

"Yes, Daddy?" He asked quietly turning to look at Damon.

"You know what I'm going to say." Damon replied.

"Okay, Daddy." Jonah nodded then stood up, scuttled over to Noelle and hugged her then scuttled back to his legos.

"There's a good boy." Damon smirked at Daisy who rolled her eyes at him.

"How do you do that?" Daisy muttered.

"Cool Dad." Damon said amused.

"Who's the girl?" Noelle pointed at Bonnie.

"She's my great, great, etc. granddaughter." Daisy grinned. "This is Bonnie. Bonnie, my daughter Noelle." She motioned.

"You a witch?" Noelle asked sceptically and Damon smirked at her. She disliked witches as much as he did.

"Yes." Bonnie nodded.

"Who was the other girl that came to the door? Where'd she go anyway?" Noelle asked as she sat down across from Damon.

"She's Stefan's girlfriend." Damon explained.

"Daisy dismissed her again." Charlotte scowled at Daisy and Daisy rolled her eyes.

"She's a doppelganger, what do I care what she thinks about being compelled?" Daisy muttered.

"You're allowing a doppelganger to live?" Noelle asked surprised and Bonnie gasped.

"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked Noelle.

"My mother's taken out all the other ones in history that she could find." Noelle shrugged.

"What?" Damon asked in disbelief.

"Doppelgangers are incredibly dangerous." Daisy explained. "The curse Klaus was trying to break is not the only spell that requires a doppelganger. Some of the worst evils ever heard of would be capable with a doppelganger's involvement." She shrugged. "But we're getting off topic." Daisy muttered.

"Are you two hungry?" Damon asked Valentina and Jonah.

"Can you make us pancakes, Daddy?" Valentina asked.

"What kind do you want?" Damon smirked at her and she grinned.

"Chocolate." Valentina said.

"I don't want pancakes." Jonah complained and Damon chuckled.

"What do you want?" Damon asked amused.

"Pizza." Jonah said and everyone laughed.

"Jonah, you're not getting pizza for breakfast." Damon replied and Jonah nodded.

"Okay, Daddy." He said. Bonnie was amused at how Jonah just did what Damon said without question.

"Well, do you want waffles instead?" Damon asked him.

"No, I'll have pancakes, please." Jonah replied and Damon chuckled.

"You said you didn't want pancakes." Damon pointed out.

"Okay, Daddy." Jonah replied.

"Jonah, you're not making any sense." Damon replied with a smirk.

"Sorry, Daddy." Jonah said and the girls giggled softly.

"So, what do you want to eat?" Damon asked him trying not to laugh.

"Pancakes, please." Jonah replied and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Are you sure?" Damon asked him amused.

"Yes, Daddy." Jonah nodded and Damon laughed.

"I might make you pizza for dinner." Damon replied and Jonah grinned at him.

"You're the best Daddy in the whole world." Jonah said and Damon laughed.

"I know." He smirked and Jonah smiled at him.

"You're making me look bad." Daisy muttered.

"Where did he get the idea to eat pizza for breakfast anyway?" Damon cocked an eyebrow at her and she shrugged.

"Mama was hung over the other day and had leftover pizza for breakfast." Valentina informed him and Daisy glared at her while Damon smirked.

"Is that so?" Damon asked amused. "Bonnie? Do you want pancakes?" Damon asked her and Bonnie looked stunned.

"Uh... sure. Thanks." She said surprised and Noelle laughed.

"He usually isn't nice to you, is he?" Noelle smirked at Bonnie.

"I'm always nice to everyone." Damon lied and everyone laughed.

"Right." Daisy smirked at him.

"Whatever." Damon muttered. "Girls, do you want pancakes?" Damon asked as he stood up.

"Yeah, but I don't want chocolate chips in mine." Noelle said.

"Yes, I know that, dear." Damon rolled his eyes. "Do you want vanilla and honey instead?" He asked her and she grinned.

"Obviously." She said and he smirked.

"I'll have chocolate, please, Dad." Charlotte said with a smile and he nodded.

"Dais? Chocolate or the same as Noelle?" Damon asked her.

"Vanilla and honey." She grinned at him and he winked at her then went into the kitchen.

"So what are you doing about Daddy?" Noelle asked Daisy. Daisy smiled at her for calling him 'Daddy' since she hadn't done so for years.

"He's ascending." She replied and Noelle laughed.

"Took him long enough." Noelle replied. "Are you two finally getting back together then?" She asked.

"Yeah." Daisy smiled. Just then Stefan came into the house and Daisy glared at him. Stefan looked around and was confused. Who were the two vampires and why was Bonnie with them?

"Hi, Stefan." Bonnie said.

"Bonnie." He nodded.

"You're Uncle Stefan?" Charlotte asked in disbelief.

"Crap. What are you doing back?" Damon asked coming out of the kitchen.

"I just wanted to see if you got _her_ out of here." Stefan said annoyed and Damon narrowed his eyes at him.

"Don't you dare speak about my mother like that." Noelle snarled at him.

"Why did that vampire call me Uncle Stefan?" Stefan asked Damon and he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah... about that." Damon muttered. "They're my daughters, Noelle, Charlotte and Valentina and that's my son, Jonah." Damon pointed and Stefan's jaw dropped.

"You have kids?" Stefan asked in disbelief.

"You didn't know?" Bonnie asked shocked.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Stefan asked angrily.

"I promised Daisy I wouldn't." Damon replied and Stefan winced.

"Right." Stefan nodded. "Where's Elena?" He asked.

"Sleeping upstairs." Damon shrugged.

"I compelled her. She's extremely annoying." Daisy said and Stefan huffed.

"Fine." He muttered then went upstairs. Bonnie was shocked that Stefan didn't go nuts about Elena being compelled. She really wanted to know why Daisy so clearly despised Stefan. Damon trudged back into the kitchen looking annoyed and shaking his head.

"Why don't you like Stefan?" Bonnie asked Daisy.

"Small ears!" Damon yelled from the kitchen.

"I'll tell you later." Daisy nodded to Bonnie.

"Where's Daniel?" Noelle asked.

"On the way." Daisy replied.

"Good, I missed him." Noelle said.

"When's the last time you saw him?" Daisy asked surprised.

"Last month." Noelle frowned.

"You haven't seen him for a whole month?" Daisy asked in disbelief.

"Nope." Noelle replied.

"Is that the longest ever for you two?" Charlotte asked surprised.

"No, but almost." Noelle replied.

"Are you really close?" Bonnie asked curiously.

"Yeah, he's my twin. We usually don't go longer than about a week without seeing each other." Noelle replied. "But he decided to be all geeky and do some crazy science crap up in Alaska. I wasn't listening when he told me about it, to be honest." She rolled her eyes.

"He's in Canada now." Daisy corrected and Noelle huffed.

"See? I didn't even know that." Noelle muttered.

"What were you doing in Mexico?" Daisy asked and Noelle laughed.

"Partying." She smirked and they heard Damon laugh in the kitchen.

"What else are you going to need for the ascension?" Charlotte asked Daisy.

"Vampire blood, succubus blood and skin walker blood." Daisy shrugged.

"How are you going to get that?" Bonnie asked and Noelle laughed.

"She's the Queen of the Dark Dimension, she gets whatever she wants." Charlotte smiled.

"I think the vampire Dad was protecting can offer up some of her blood for it." Noelle muttered.

"She can't." Daisy replied.

"Why not?" Noelle asked annoyed.

"Because Damon is her sire." Daisy replied.

"You made another vampire?" Noelle asked in disbelief.

"It was an accident." Damon replied. "Besides, Bonnie already set me on fire for that so keep the attitude in check." Damon said while poking his head out the door.

"You did what?" Noelle asked Bonnie in disbelief.

"She's my best friend." Bonnie shrugged. "And before that he spent a while feeding on her and compelling her." Bonnie said.

"He's a vampire." Noelle said like it was obvious.

"I am aware." Bonnie replied.

"Witches." Noelle shook her head. "Such judgy little things." She said and Damon laughed from the kitchen.

"Just because you're a vampire doesn't mean you have to use humans like that." Charlotte pointed out and Noelle laughed.

"Don't start going all goodie goodie vamp on me again, Charlotte." Noelle smirked.

"Girls." Daisy chastised.

"Damon?" A voice called from the hall after the door opened. Damon came out of the kitchen with a scowl on his face.

"What do you want, Barbie?" Damon asked her annoyed.

"I just wanted to talk to you about something... what's wrong with you?" She asked concerned. "You don't look so good." She pointed out.

"Hang over." Damon lied. "You need to go." He said to her.

"Is this her?" Noelle asked annoyed looking at the blonde and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Hi, I'm Caroline." Caroline waved at them all.

"Okay, you said hi, off you go." Damon said.

"You're not even going to tell her that you're dying for her?" Noelle asked angrily.

"What is she talking about? You're dying?" Caroline exclaimed and Damon shook his head.

"Ignore her. Now, get out, Barbie." Damon pointed to the door.

"Dad! That's so rude!" Charlotte exclaimed.

"Dad?" Caroline asked in disbelief.

"Oh, for God's sake." Damon muttered then picked Caroline up and put her outside the door and slammed it. He walked back in the room. "Barbie is the biggest blabbermouth in the history of time, don't tell her anything." Damon warned then walked back into the kitchen.

"I thought she was pretty." Jonah smiled and the girls laughed.

"Aww, Jonah has a crush." Noelle teased and the little boy blushed.

"That's cute." Daisy smiled fondly at her son.

"Mama?" Jonah asked with a curious expression.

"Yes, sweetie?" Daisy asked.

"What did Daddy mean when he said you could sleep with whoever you want?" Jonah asked and Daisy gulped then heard Damon laughing in the kitchen.


	4. Jonah

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

I know I'm going away from the original storyline of the show but that's just the way it is ;)

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><p>His Secrets<p>

Chapter 4

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><p>"I can't wait to hear this." Damon came out of the kitchen grinning and Daisy scowled at him.<p>

"Can we talk about this later, sweetie?" Daisy asked Jonah.

"Believe me, you don't want to know." Valentina said to Jonah. Noelle, Charlotte and Damon were trying not to laugh.

"How come Valley gets to know and I don't?" Jonah complained.

"Because Valley's eight years old." Daisy countered.

"So I can know when I'm eight years old?" Jonah asked.

"Yes." Daisy replied.

"Okay." Jonah said then turned back to his legos. After about a minute he turned back around. "Are you talking about the naked dancing?" Jonah asked and Daisy's eyes widened and everyone else laughed loudly.

"Naked dancing?" Damon asked him amused and he nodded.

"That's what Mama said it was." Jonah said innocently and Damon smirked at Daisy.

"Is that a blush on your face, your majesty?" Damon teased her and she rolled her eyes.

"But Daddy?" Jonah asked and Damon chuckled knowing he would ask something ridiculous.

"Yes, Jonah?" Damon smirked and Daisy looked like she would die of embarrassment.

"Why would Mama do naked dancing? She didn't sound like she liked it with all the shouting." Jonah said confused and Damon buckled over with laughter as did Noelle, Charlotte and Bonnie.

"Don't ever have children." Daisy muttered to Bonnie and Bonnie giggled.

"Daddy? You didn't answer my question." Jonah pointed out and Damon chuckled.

"It's fun, that's why. And shouting means she liked it." Damon replied and Daisy gaped at him.

"Do you do it?" Jonah asked curiously and Damon smirked.

"Of course." Damon winked at him.

"Can I do it?" Jonah asked innocently and Damon laughed.

"When you're eighteen." Damon nodded.

"You said I can't ever do that." Valentina told him and everyone laughed.

"True, but I also told your sisters that and they didn't listen to me." Damon smirked.

"You always say we have to be eighteen for everything." Valentina rolled her eyes.

"That's because I'm the boss of you and what I say goes." Damon countered and she laughed.

"Until I'm eighteen." She smirked at him.

"God, you're going to be another Noelle." Damon chuckled.

"I wasn't that bad." Noelle countered.

"Are you kidding? It took me over 70 years to have another one after you." Daisy laughed.

"You were a wild kid." Damon smirked.

"Dad, half the crap I got up to when I was a teenager, you were right there doing it with me." She reminded him and he laughed.

"Someone had to be there to compel away your many arrests." Damon teased her and she smiled at him.

"You were a lot of fun back then." She said fondly.

"Daddy, is breakfast ready yet?" Valentina asked and Damon chuckled.

"Yes, Valentina." Damon smirked at her.

"Valley, take Jonah to wash his hands." Daisy said.

"Come on, Jonah." Valentina said.

"Not yet." Jonah mumbled as he played with his legos.

"Jonah, go wash your hands." Daisy said.

"In a minute." He replied and Damon smirked at Daisy.

"Now, Jonah." Damon said.

"Okay, Daddy." Jonah said and stood up and Bonnie giggled while Daisy narrowed her eyes at Damon. Valentina led Jonah to the little bathroom in the hall, they washed their hands then came back through.

"Why does he do whatever you say?" Daisy asked Damon in disbelief and Damon shrugged.

"He loves me more than you." Damon chuckled and she rolled her eyes.

"They all do." Daisy muttered.

"Not Daniel. He's a total Mama's boy." Damon smirked.

"Well, I love you both the same." Charlotte said.

"Thanks, Charlie." Daisy winked at her.

"Me too." Noelle said and Daisy laughed.

"I love you, sweetie, but don't lie." She smirked. "You've been a complete Daddy's girl since you were younger than Jonah." She said and Noelle rolled her eyes.

"Am not." She said.

"I love Daddy more." Valentina said bluntly and everyone laughed.

"That's not nice, Valley." Damon said to her. "You only think that because you don't see me as much as your mother." He said.

"No, she's just really bossy." Valentina said and everyone laughed except Damon.

"Valentina." Damon said annoyed. "Where's this attitude coming from all of a sudden? You're mother has a tough job to do so I don't want to hear that you're giving her trouble, got it?" Damon asked her seriously.

"Sorry, Mama." Valentina said innocently.

"Much better." Damon said. "Now get your snarky butt into the kitchen and sit at the table." Damon said and she nodded and hurried into the kitchen with Jonah trailing behind her. "Do the rest of you want told the same thing?" Damon asked them intently then went into the kitchen and everyone followed behind him and they sat down at the table. After everyone was finished eating, Valentina helped Damon fill the dishwasher in the hopes to get back on his good side. Damon didn't mind her little attitude problem but he would not tolerate her being rude to her mother. The two of them went back through then and Damon sat on the couch.

"Daddy, are you still mad at me?" Valentina asked him in a small voice and he smiled at her then pulled her on his lap.

"I wasn't mad at you before, Valley. I just need you to know that giving your mother attitude is not acceptable." Damon said to her softly. "Okay?" He asked her and she nodded.

"Okay." She agreed.

"Good girl." He smiled and kissed her forehead.

"You look terrible." Noelle said to him and he laughed.

"I feel it." Damon nodded.

"What's taking Elijah so long?" Daisy muttered.

"He's probably waiting as long as possible so the bite kills me." Damon smirked at her.

"He wouldn't dare." Daisy said.

"He would. He really doesn't like me." Damon smirked.

"Why's that?" Noelle asked amused.

"I staked him with a coat rack once." Damon shrugged and they laughed. "Didn't stick though."

"You'll be stronger than him soon enough." Daisy shrugged and Damon smirked.

"Is that so?" Damon asked amused and she rolled her eyes then there was a knock at the door. "That's probably the Mama's boy." Damon smirked at Daisy and her face lit up and she raced to the door and opened it.

"Daniel!" She exclaimed and hugged him.

"Hi, Mom!" He grinned as he hugged her back.

"I missed you, sweetie." Daisy smiled at him.

"I missed you too." He replied. "How's Dad?" He asked.

"Snarky." Daisy replied and Damon rolled his eyes. "Wake up and come down stairs." Daisy said closing her eyes. A minute later Elena came downstairs and went to the door. "Invite Daniel in." Daisy compelled Elena.

"Come in, Daniel." Elena said.

"Now forget you ever met me or any of our children and go home." Daisy compelled then Elena left and the two of them went inside. Bonnie's jaw dropped when she saw Daniel as he and Damon could literally be identical twins except Daniel had blonde hair and light green eyes.

"Where the hell have you been?" Noelle stood up and yelled at him. He just laughed and hugged her.

"Dad, you look awful." He said concerned then hugged Damon.

"Thanks." Damon rolled his eyes. Charlotte, Valentina and Jonah all ran over and hugged Daniel tightly then they all sat down. Jonah sat between Daniel and Damon on the couch and grinned widely at both of them.

"Hi, I'm Daniel." Daniel said to Bonnie as he shook her hand.

"Bonnie." She blushed furiously and Damon laughed.

"Bonnie, you do know that you're related, right?" Damon smirked at her and if possible she went even redder.

"Stop being an ass, Damon." Daisy said amused.

"So, what's the plan?" Daniel asked Damon.

"He's ascending." Noelle replied and Daniel grinned.

"Finally." Daniel replied. "Took you long enough, Dad." He said and Damon rolled his eyes.

"It's not like I want to do it, dude." Damon replied. "But I don't want to croak either."

"Daddy?" Jonah asked and Damon laughed. He asked the way he always asked if it was some ridiculous question.

"Yes, Jonah?" Damon asked amused.

"How can you die if you're already dead? And how can you be dead and still be alive?" Jonah asked.

"Jonah?" Damon asked.

"Yes, Daddy?" Jonah replied innocently.

"I will give you $50 if I don't have to answer that." Damon replied and everyone laughed.

"I'll answer it if you give me the $50." Noelle said and Damon chuckled.

"Knock yourself out." Damon pulled out his wallet, fished out $50 and tossed it to her.

"Jonah, to become a vampire, you have to die with vampire blood in your body. The vampire blood reanimates you so that you stay alive, but it means that you have to drink blood to stay alive." Noelle said. Jonah looked at her sceptically.

"I should have just taken the money." Jonah said and everyone laughed. "That didn't make any sense, Ellie." He said.

"Yeah, you so didn't explain it well for a three year old. I think you should half your payment with him." Damon smirked at her and she laughed then gave the little boy the $50 and he grinned at her. Fifty dollars to an almost four year old is like being a millionaire.

"I can't remember the last time we were all together like this." Daniel smiled. "It's nice."

"When Jonah was born." Daisy said and Daniel nodded.

"Daddy?" Jonah asked and Damon chuckled.

"Yes, Jonah?" Damon asked amused and Bonnie giggled.

"Can I have a little brother?" He asked and Daisy choked on her drink.

"What?" She asked in disbelief and Damon chuckled.

"Why do you want a little brother?" Damon asked him with a smirk.

"I don't want to be the littlest anymore." Jonah frowned and Damon laughed.

"Maybe in twenty years or so." Damon shrugged.

"Okay, Daddy." Jonah said sadly. Daisy looked at Damon with an expression that told him to get Jonah out of his little sad mood.

"You know, you can't choose if it would be a little brother... would you want to have another sister?" Damon asked and Jonah looked horrified causing everyone to laugh.

"Okay, Daddy. We'll wait twenty years." Jonah said seriously and they laughed again.

"I should be seriously offended." Valentina said and Damon smirked at her.

"He's surrounded by girls, Valley. I can see why he'd want a little brother." Damon said to her.

"I play legos with him." Valentina countered and Damon chuckled.

"Yes, you're a very good big sister." Damon smiled at her.

"Daddy?" Jonah asked and Damon laughed.

"Ask your mother." Damon smirked.

"But Mama will say no." Jonah said wide eyed and innocently.

"Well, you know if she says no, it's no from me too." Damon said to him and he frowned. "What were you going to ask?" Damon asked amused.

"Since I can't have a little brother, can I have a pet?" He asked and Damon chuckled.

"Ask your mother." Damon laughed. "What kind of pet?" Damon cocked an eyebrow and Jonah shrugged.

"I want a frog." He said and Damon smirked.

"I had a frog when I was a kid." Damon nodded.

"Really? What was his name?" Jonah asked delighted.

"Stefan." Damon smirked and Bonnie laughed.

"Or maybe a snake." Jonah said. "Or a puppy. Or a parrot." He said excitedly and Damon laughed.

"Your dad and I will talk about it." Daisy said to Jonah.

"That means no." Jonah frowned and Damon chuckled.

"Can't you just make friends with a hell hound?" Damon asked him. "Your mother has like a thousand of them."

"They won't play with me." Jonah replied.

"Hmm." Damon said then looked at Daisy. Daisy could see that Damon just wanted to give him whatever he wanted and she rolled her eyes.

"You can have a pet for your fourth birthday." Daisy said and Jonah's face lit up.

"But no hamsters or those types of pets." Damon said to him. "Go thank your mother." He said and Jonah climbed off the couch and ran over and hugged Daisy tightly.

"Thank you, Mama!" He exclaimed and she smiled.

"You're welcome. You should thank your Daddy though because he'll be cleaning up after it." She said and everyone laughed while Damon rolled his eyes.

"Well her majesty was hardly going to do it, was she?" Damon smirked at her.

"Why have a dog and bark yourself?" She asked and Damon laughed.

"When are you going to get the other three demons?" Damon asked her.

"Once Elijah gets back. I can't risk leaving him here with you all." She replied.

"You just going to zap him somewhere?" Daniel asked.

"Yes." Daisy nodded. "Then we'll get started. Damon, if you want to say goodbye to anyone, the next couple of hours are when to do it." She said.

"How long until I can come back?" He asked curiously.

"About a month." She said with a shrug.

"Crap." Damon muttered.

"What?" She asked confused.

"Barbie's still a relatively new vampire and she could get herself into trouble in a month." Damon muttered.

"Barbie? Is she hot?" Daniel asked Damon and he chuckled.

"Very but she talks way too much and I've already been there." Damon smirked at him and Daniel laughed.

"Understood." He smirked back.

"I'll look out for her." Charlotte said softly.

"I don't want you being around Damon's brother." Daisy said fiercely.

"I'm over that, Daisy. Don't worry." Charlotte said to her with a small smile.

"Over what?" Bonnie asked.

"Small ears." Damon warned Daisy.

"Yes, I heard you the last ten times." Daisy muttered.

"I'll see if Barbie would be willing to go with you to Boston." Damon said to Charlotte.

"Sure." Charlotte smiled.

"Thanks, Charlie." He smiled at her.

"You're welcome. It would be nice to get to know her." Charlotte smiled.

"Why?" Damon asked confused.

"Dad, you jumped in front of her so she wouldn't get bitten. Clearly she's important to you." Charlotte said and Damon laughed.

"Don't be ridiculous, Charlie. Barbie means absolutely nothing to me. I just have to look out for her because I'm technically her sire." Damon replied.

"Mmhmm." Charlotte smiled at him. "I believe you." She lied and he rolled his eyes.

"Bonnie, if you want to come while I talk to Barbie I'll tell you the story you want to know." Damon said to her.

"Okay, sure." Bonnie smiled at him.

"We'll be back in like an hour." Damon said pulling on his jacket.

"Daddy? Can I come?" Jonah asked.

"Not this time, Jojo." Damon replied. "But I'll bring you back some ice cream for after lunch okay?" Damon smirked and Jonah grinned at him.

"Thanks, Daddy." He said and Damon chuckled then waved at the rest of them while he and Bonnie went out to his car.

* * *

><p>Damon started driving and noticed Bonnie looking at him in confusion.<p>

"Just say whatever you want to say." Damon rolled his eyes.

"You're like... such an amazing dad." She said and Damon grinned at her.

"Thanks." Damon smiled. "Though, Jonah is going to end up driving me nuts with the 'Daddy?' questions." He chuckled and Bonnie giggled.

"He's so unbelievably cute." She smiled.

"He knows that though." Damon smirked. "He has me and Dais wrapped around his finger."

"He's very well behaved." Bonnie pointed out.

"With me, he is. He does whatever I say without question but Daisy has some trouble with him sometimes." Damon said. "I think that's because she has a lot more rules for them than I do and because of that, when I do tell him to do something, he knows I mean it." He shrugged.

"Do you still see them a lot normally?" Bonnie asked curiously and Damon nodded.

"I see them on weekdays when Stefan is at school." Damon replied. "Obviously, I couldn't let Stefan find out about them." Damon said.

"Why is that? Why does Daisy hate him?" She asked and Damon sighed.

"It's a really long story but I'll try and shorten it." Damon said. "I met Daisy shortly after Stefan met Lexi, you've heard of her right?"

"Yes. She got Stefan to stop being a ripper." Bonnie said and Damon nodded.

"Right, well I met Daisy and the two of us became best friends very quickly. She helped me a lot as I was still a young vampire and I left Stefan for her because she thought he was a lost cause. We were inseparable for about five years then she wanted more children so she married a human guy and had two kids. I stuck around and watched over her because she has to become human to carry the children, so she's vulnerable. I found out that Charlotte's mother died a few years later so I went back to Mystic Falls to get her and when I came back Stefan had kidnapped Daisy. She was pregnant at the time and I didn't know that Stefan had been invited in to her house so I left Charlotte in the house with Daisy's husband and her two kids and went after her. I found her tied up and bleeding to death and I gave her blood to heal her and when she was healed, we went back to her house and I got in the door to find Stefan feeding from Charlotte and I lost my mind and nearly killed him but he got away as he was much stronger than me then. Charlotte was distraught and told me to look upstairs so I went upstairs. Daisy's daughter was seven and her son was four and Stefan had tortured both of them and her husband. The little girl was dead and the little boy was a vampire. Stefan had also turned her husband but he was so badly tortured that he would never have recovered from everything Stefan did to him. I had to stake the little boy and her husband and Daisy lost the baby she was carrying." Damon said then turned to look at Bonnie who was ashen and tears streamed down her face.

"That is the most awful thing I've ever heard." Bonnie said and Damon nodded.

"That's the most awful thing I've ever seen." Damon agreed. "Having to stake that little boy was the worst thing I've ever had to do."

"How could Stefan do that?" Bonnie asked in disbelief.

"He was ripper Stefan with no emotions then. I thought it was really shit that he didn't even recognise Charlotte when he saw her today." Damon said angrily. "She remembers him though. She thought she was going to die."

"I'm surprised that Daisy didn't kill him for that." Bonnie replied.

"So am I. But she said that after everything I did for her, she couldn't do that to me. I was for killing him at the time but she said I would regret that. She did say that if I ever died, the first thing she would do is kill Stefan." He replied. "If someone had done that to my kids, it wouldn't matter who it was, brother or not, they'd be tortured for years, maybe decades then killed." Damon said.

"How could she be so rational about it?" Bonnie asked in disbelief.

"She's thousands of years old, Bonnie. I'm guessing she has learned a thing or two." Damon said.

"But Stefan didn't even look guilty when he saw her earlier." Bonnie replied.

"He blames me. If I hadn't left him, he wouldn't have gone after Daisy to get my attention, so it's clearly my fault that he chose to torture two children and an innocent human man. Not to mention feeding from my daughter." Damon said.

"Is that why you dislike Stefan?" Bonnie asked and Damon chuckled.

"I don't dislike Stefan. I can't stand Stefan. There are times when he acts like my human brother again and I love him in those moments but the hatred will always be there. I may have killed plenty of people in my years but I never tortured humans and I've only ever killed one child and it was Daisy's little boy." Damon said.

"Elena needs to be told about this." Bonnie said with a nod.

"Elena already knows the kinds of things he did back then. It won't matter." Damon replied and Bonnie's jaw dropped.

"She doesn't care?" Bonnie asked in disbelief and Damon shrugged.

"She's in love with Stefan, Bonnie. What he did over 100 years ago doesn't matter to her." Damon replied. "By the way, Daisy compelled her to forget about the kids and I'd rather she didn't know about that. Can you tell her I just left Mystic Falls?" Damon asked.

"You don't want to say bye to her?" Bonnie asked surprised.

"And say what? Yeah, I'm going to live in another dimension – good luck for the future?" Damon asked with a smirk and Bonnie giggled.

"You could just tell her that you're moving somewhere else." Bonnie replied.

"No thanks." Damon shook his head. "So what do you think of Daisy?" Damon smiled.

"She's kind of great actually." Bonnie said. "Your kids are all really nice though Noelle is kind of scary." Bonnie said and Damon laughed.

"Don't tell her that, she'll end up taking it up a notch for her own amusement." Damon smirked.

"I'm surprised by the boy's names though." Bonnie said.

"Daisy and I had an agreement that I name the girls and she names the boys. I had nothing to do with Daniel and Jonah's names." He said. "They aren't what I would have chosen." He chuckled.

"Are you going to turn Valentina and Jonah?" Bonnie asked.

"If they want to. The other three chose it. We never pressured them." Damon replied. "They might choose to be something else." He shrugged. "Daisy gave them all the choice of staying human or becoming a vampire, succubus or incubus, witch or skin walker." He shrugged. "I don't really like the idea of turning my daughter into a succubus though." Damon grimaced.

"Why?" Bonnie asked curiously.

"They become very sexual creatures and that's just creepy for any dad to think about." Damon said and Bonnie laughed.

"The naked dancing thing was funny." Bonnie smiled.

"Poor Jonah. He's going to be scarred for life." Damon chuckled.

"It doesn't bother you that she was having sex with someone else?" Bonnie asked.

"No." Damon shook his head. "The dating bothered me but she's agreed to stop that." He shrugged.

"Are you in love with her?" Bonnie asked curiously and Damon laughed.

"You're very nosy, you know that?" Damon asked her and she shrugged. "Yes, but it's just a part of me now. I've loved her since about a month after I met her and I'm just used to it now." Damon shrugged. "We were together for so long that it's not a big deal anymore."

"How does this all tie in with Katherine?" Bonnie asked and Damon chuckled.

"I obviously told Daisy about Katherine when we met but I kind of forgot about her to be honest. I had my wife and kids and life was good. Then a couple of years ago, I happened to mention that I was still going to get her out of the tomb, not to be with her but just because she didn't deserve to be stuck in a tomb and Daisy went ballistic. She left me for that so I turned off my emotions and just focused on getting Katherine back and Daisy said we'd never be together again so I found myself digging up old feelings for Katherine just to piss Daisy off." Damon shrugged.

"But why did she agree to get back together if she said you would never be together again?" Bonnie asked.

"Well, it's two years ago that we split up and she's calmed down now." Damon smirked. "Plus, she's wanted me to go live with her in the dark dimension ever since Stefan killed her kids." He said. "And I think she misses me." Damon smirked and Bonnie smiled.

"So Valentina and Jonah live there most of the time?" Bonnie asked and Damon nodded.

"It's not safe for them to be here all the time since they're only human. They couldn't go to school and they don't have the protection that they need here. In the dark dimension, Daisy has unlimited security for them. Daisy is very beloved there." Damon explained.

"What's the dark dimension like?" Bonnie asked.

"Great, actually." Damon said. "There aren't a lot of humans there though. It's mainly demons but it's far more peaceful there than here. Dais runs a very tight shift." Damon smirked. "She's very good and very fair but if you piss her off there's hell to pay."

"Are you looking forward to living there?" Bonnie asked and Damon shrugged.

"I'm looking forward to having Valley and Jonah around all the time. It's hard not being able to see them every day." Damon admitted. "Now that Daisy has met you, she'll no doubt invite you to come to the dark dimension at some point." Damon said.

"Would that be safe for me?" Bonnie asked sceptically.

"You're the Queen's descendant. There isn't a person there that would touch you." Damon replied. "Besides, if you wanted to walk around there alone, you'd be given hell hounds to watch over you." Damon said and Bonnie nodded as she thought about that.

"How often do you talk to your grown up kids?" Bonnie asked and Damon chuckled.

"Today is the first time I've actually had a conversation with Noelle in over twenty years. I speak to Daniel about once a week and Charlotte calls me or I call her almost every day." Damon explained.

"I know I met them but can you tell me what they're like?" Bonnie asked and Damon nodded.

"Charlotte is probably the kindest, sweetest and most gentle person you will ever meet. She doesn't have a bad bone in her body." Damon said. "Even though she's a vampire, she could probably be a saint." Damon smiled. "Daniel is very geeky and talks a lot but somehow he's good at getting laid. He's completely oblivious to any attention he gets though." Damon chuckled. "He's a nice guy and gets along with everyone." Damon smiled. "Noelle on the other hand is fun, sarcastic, wild, impulsive and honestly, a bit of a bitch." Damon smirked. "But, I adore that girl despite her bad temper and recklessness."

"Noelle is just like you in girl form, isn't she?" Bonnie asked and Damon laughed.

"You're not the first person to say that since we can be quite similar but she cares about people more than I do. I couldn't care less about random people." Damon replied. "She does though, even if she doesn't show it."

"Is Noelle your favourite?" Bonnie asked amused and Damon's jaw dropped.

"Bonnie Bennett. A parent should never have a favourite child." Damon replied. "They're all my favourites in their own way. Charlotte is my little girl, Daniel is my first son who I also see as a really good friend, Noelle is the apple of my eye, Valentina just fascinates me because she's so intelligent and Jonah is... Jonah." Damon smiled fondly. "He's a little monkey." He chuckled.

"You like being a dad?" Bonnie asked and Damon nodded.

"It's fantastic. And Jonah's little big mouth has totally made me want more." Damon chuckled.

"You mean his comment about wanting a brother?" She asked and Damon nodded.

"But I want another little girl." Damon grinned.

"Is that because all your girls are Daddy's girls?" Bonnie asked with a smile and Damon laughed.

"Yes. Jonah will grow out of his 'Daddy' phase just like Daniel did and be more attached to Daisy." Damon said. "I'm glad Daisy and I are going to get back together though because it's hard for Jonah to be alone so often."

"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked curiously.

"Daisy obviously has a dimension to rule so when he's not with me or her, he's with a nanny, but he doesn't like his nanny. Valentina is really independent and likes to do her own thing and she's really good about spending time with him but she can't just hang out with her three year old little brother all the time or that wouldn't be fair to her. Jonah doesn't like to be alone though. He likes to play games and do things and he loves reading and talking about things and apparently his nanny just does her own thing while keeping an eye on him so he's left to do whatever he wants. But he wants to play with other people. It'll be a good thing that I'll more or less always be there with him now. He won't have to have that stupid nanny." Damon explained as he pulled up at Caroline's house.

"It was cute that he thought Caroline was pretty." Bonnie smiled and Damon laughed.

"She is though." Damon shrugged as he honked the horn of his car. Bonnie had text her that they were coming over and she was to come down to the car. "She'd probably be the perfect girl if she wasn't so God damn chatty." Damon said.

"I think that's the nicest thing I've ever heard you say about anyone." Bonnie said surprised.

"Yeah, well. Chalk it up to getting to see all my kids at the same time." Damon smirked and she laughed. She'd seen a really different side to Damon and found he might not be completely despicable after all. Caroline came darting out the house and was in the back seat of the car in seconds.

"Okay, what's going on?" Caroline asked.

"I need to talk to you about something, Barbie." Damon said to her and she looked at him intently. "I was wondering if you would be interested in staying with my daughter Charlotte in Boston for a while so she can look after you." Damon said and her jaw dropped.

"You're going to have to give me more than that." Caroline said seriously and he sighed.

"Tyler bit me." Damon said and Caroline gasped.

"No." She said sadly then looked like she was going to cry.

"Calm down, I'm not going to die." Damon said and she looked confused. "There's a way for me to survive it but it means that I'd have to leave for a while and it's not safe for you to be here without someone to look out for you and Stefan won't be much use with that since Elena always comes first. But, you would really like Charlotte. She's very sweet. Not like me at all. She can look after you and I think you'd really like Boston. There are lots of places to shop." He smirked at her and she giggled. Bonnie noticed then that Damon actually cared about her.

"How do you even have a daughter?" She asked.

"She was born when I was human. I was eighteen." He shrugged. "So what do you think?" He asked. "You would have to leave Mystic Falls soon anyway and it might be nice for you to make a vampire friend." He said.

"Can I meet her first before I decide?" Caroline asked him.

"Fine." Damon muttered. "I guess I'm going to have to elaborate then." He said. "I also have four other kids and they're all at the boarding house at the moment. Bonnie knows the story so she can just fill you in or Charlotte can." Damon said.

"You have five kids?" Caroline asked surprised. "How old are they?" She asked.

"Charlotte is 141, Daniel and Noelle are 82, Valentina is almost 9 and Jonah is almost 4." Damon said as he drove back to the boarding house.

"How is it possible?" Caroline asked surprised.

"Daisy, the four younger ones' mother, is supernatural too and she can make it so it works." Damon replied cryptically.

"So Charlotte, Daniel and Noelle are vampires?" She asked and he nodded. "Is Daniel hot?" She asked and Damon laughed.

"Bonnie thinks so." Damon smirked and Bonnie blushed furiously again causing both Damon and Caroline to laugh. "You remember who Emily Bennett was?" Damon asked her and Caroline nodded. "Daisy is her grandmother."

"But that makes Bonnie related to Daniel." Caroline giggled.

"Mmhmm." Damon smirked.

"Both of you shut up." Bonnie muttered. A few minutes later they stopped at a shop. "What are you doing?" Bonnie asked Damon.

"I promised Jonah ice cream." Damon shrugged then got out of the car and ran into the shop.

"That's just weird." Caroline laughed.

"Just wait until you see Daddy Damon in action. You'll want to fall over in shock." Bonnie said.

* * *

><p>The three of them walked into the boarding house about ten minutes later.<p>

"Daddy!" Jonah yelled when he saw Damon and ran over to him. Damon crouched down and picked him up then held him with one arm against his side. "What's that?" Jonah pointed to Damon's shopping bag.

"You know what it is, Jonah." Damon smirked at him.

"Ice cream?" Jonah grinned and Damon laughed.

"Yes, Jonah." Damon said and Jonah hugged Damon's neck.

"You're the best Daddy in the whole world." Jonah said and Damon laughed.

"You know you only say that when I get you something you want." Damon replied and Jonah laughed as Damon walked into the living room. "How come the pretty girl is here again?" Jonah asked Damon and Bonnie giggled at Caroline's surprised face.

"To see you." Damon smirked at him and the little boy blushed. "Aww, do you want me to ask her to give you a big kiss?" Damon teased him and Jonah hid his face in Damon's neck and everyone said 'aww' at the little embarrassed boy.

"That's mean, Dad." Charlotte smiled.

"No it's not. He shouldn't be so shy, girls are for kissing." Damon smirked and Daisy rolled her eyes at him.

"Well, I'm not kissing anyone." Valentina said with her hands on her hips and Damon chuckled.

"Damn right, you're not. I meant girls that aren't my girls." Damon said to her.

"Is this another thing I can't do until I'm eighteen?" She asked in a bored tone and Caroline and Bonnie giggled.

"We've been over this, Valley. No boys ever." Damon replied in a fake serious tone.

"You did say that, but you also said that you were only the boss of me until I turn eighteen so I don't have to listen to you then." She countered and he laughed.

"You're a little smartass, you know that?" He asked.

"I know, Daddy." She smiled at him sweetly and he rolled his eyes then put away the ice cream and sat back down with everyone. Jonah stayed stuck to him after he sat down next to Daniel.

"So, that's Charlotte, Valentina aka smartass, Daisy, Noelle, Daniel and this little monkey is Jonah." Damon pointed them all out for Caroline.

"Hey." Caroline smiled at them all then sat down on a chair next to Bonnie and they all greeted her back.

"Damon and Daniel could be twins." Caroline said and they laughed.

"He's my twin, actually." Noelle smiled at her.

"So, Barbie wanted to meet you, Charlie. I told her about Boston." Damon said.

"Well if you have any questions, let me know." Charlotte smiled at Caroline.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Jonah?" Damon asked amused and everyone laughed.

"Why do you call the pretty girl Barbie when her name is Caroline?" Jonah asked and Damon shrugged.

"You know what a Barbie doll looks like right?" Damon asked him.

"Daddy, I'm not a girl, I don't know what dolls look like." Jonah said and Damon sighed.

"She looks like a Barbie doll." Damon said and Caroline rolled her eyes at him.

"Are Barbie dolls pretty like her?" Jonah asked and Caroline blushed while everyone laughed.

"Yes." Damon said to him.

"Can I have a Barbie doll?" Jonah asked innocently and Damon laughed.

"Why do you want one?" Damon asked and Jonah leaned up to whisper in his ear so quietly that nobody else heard. Damon laughed though. "Fine, I'll get you a Barbie doll." Damon rolled his eyes and everyone laughed.

"You're the best Daddy..."

"In the whole world when you get something you want. I know." Damon smirked at him and Jonah giggled.

"You're silly, Daddy." Jonah said.

"I know, son." Damon muttered and they laughed. "Any sign of Elijah?" Damon asked curiously.

"No, but if he's not back in the next hour I'll just get a different werewolf." Daisy shrugged.

"Are we doing it here or there?" Damon asked her curiously.

"Here." Daisy replied.

"Are you going to call Ric and say bye?" Bonnie asked and Damon rolled his eyes.

"I forgot about him." Damon muttered. "I probably should." Damon said with a nod.

"Daddy?"

"Whatever it is my answer is no." Damon said teasingly.

"Okay, Daddy." Jonah said then Damon felt badly and sighed.

"Am I still the best Dad ever?" Damon asked him amused.

"Yes, Daddy." Jonah smiled at him then Damon scowled.

"Fine, what were you going to ask?" Damon asked him and everyone laughed at how the little boy had Damon totally wrapped around his finger.

"I wanted to know what pet you were going to let me have." Jonah said.

"What do you want?" Damon asked.

"A frog, a snake, a puppy and a parrot." Jonah said.

"You can't have all four of them so pick one." Damon replied. "Not the parrot." He said as an afterthought. "And you're a little young for a snake so frog or puppy." Damon said.

"Can I think about it?" Jonah asked and Damon chuckled.

"Sure, why not?" Damon asked him amused.

"Can I have a snake?" Valentina asked.

"No." Damon replied curtly and she sighed. "And before you argue with me, remember your birthday is next month." Damon pointed out.

"Can I have a snake for my birthday?" She asked.

"Do you see what you've done, Jonah?" Damon asked him amused.

"Sorry, Daddy." Jonah said.

"I was kidding." Damon said then kissed his forehead. "No snakes until you're..."

"Eighteen. I know." Valentina rolled her eyes. "For a vampire you're such a bore." She muttered and Damon laughed.

"I was going to say thirteen, smartass." Damon said to Valentina.

"No you weren't. You're just saying that now because I said you were a bore." She replied and everyone including Damon laughed.

"Fine, Valentina. If you want a snake, I'll get you one. I'll get you a huge anaconda and when it eats you, then you'll see that I wasn't been a bore, I just didn't want my daughter to get eaten." Damon replied and her eyes widened a little.

"Fine, I'll wait until I'm thirteen." She muttered and sat down.

"Daddy?" Everyone laughed.

"What, Jonah?" Damon smirked.

"What did you mean when you told Daniel that Caroline was hot?" Jonah asked and everyone laughed while Damon rolled his eyes and Caroline blushed.

"Jonah?"

"Yes, Daddy?"

"You don't always have to repeat everything you hear me say, okay?" Damon asked him amused and everyone laughed.

"Okay, Daddy." Jonah said.

"Good boy." Damon nodded to him.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Jonah?" Damon laughed.

"You didn't answer my question."


	5. Noelle

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

* * *

><p>His Secrets<p>

Chapter 5

* * *

><p>"It means that a girl is very pretty." Damon said.<p>

"Oh." Jonah replied.

"I think I put too much sugar in the pancakes." Damon muttered and they laughed.

"Is Caroline eighteen?" Jonah asked and everyone laughed.

"I really don't like where you're going with this." Damon cocked an eyebrow at him. Jonah leaned up to whisper to him and Damon chuckled. "When did you get so nosy?" Damon asked him.

"What does nosy mean, Daddy?" Jonah asked.

"Where's the off button, Jonah?" Damon asked him and everyone laughed.

"You're not making any sense, Daddy." Jonah said and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Jonah, what did you whisper to Dad?" Noelle asked.

"If Daddy did the thing I'm not allowed to know until I'm eight." Jonah replied innocently and everyone laughed and Caroline was blushing scarlet as she completely understood what the little boy was alluding to.

"So nosy." Damon rolled his eyes.

"You still didn't tell me what that means." Jonah pointed out.

"It means you want to know everything that isn't your business." Damon smirked at him.

"Daddy? What's my business then?" Jonah asked and everyone laughed.

"Jonah?" Damon asked.

"Yes, Daddy?"

"Can you go ask your mother some questions for a while?" Damon asked him and everyone laughed.

"But Mama doesn't answer my questions." Jonah pouted.

"Yes, I do." Daisy giggled.

"No, you don't." Jonah countered.

"You can ask me questions, Jonah." Noelle smiled.

"But not questions like the one you just asked me. I don't want to know that." Damon said and they laughed.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Jonah?" Damon sighed.

"Is Caroline your girlfriend?" Jonah asked and Damon smirked.

"No." Damon replied.

"Did she used to be?" Jonah asked wide eyed.

"Sort of." Damon shrugged.

"You're not making sense again." Jonah said and Damon sighed.

"I'll tell you when you're eighteen." Damon smirked and everyone laughed.

"Okay, Daddy." Jonah said.

"Valley? Why don't you play legos with Jonah?" Damon said to her with a pleading look and she cocked an eyebrow at him.

"C'mon, Jonah." Valentina said and Jonah hurried over to the pile of legos on the other side of the room. "We'll talk." Valentina said to Damon and he rolled his eyes knowing she would want something for it.

"Yeah, yeah." Damon said. "He's far too perceptive for his own good." Damon muttered to Daisy.

"Tell me about it." She replied.

"I'm exhausted now." Damon said rubbing his palm to his face.

"You need more blood, Dad?" Charlotte asked concerned.

"I'll get it." Damon said to her but she was up out of her seat and through the door to the basement before Damon could even move. She was back seconds later.

"You want it heated?" She asked him softly.

"No, angel, that's great. Thanks." Damon said to her and took the bag and she kissed his cheek then sat down next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her then started to sip out of the bag.

"Dais? If Caroline comes to Boston with me, can I take her with me to visit you guys?" Charlotte asked.

"Of course." Daisy nodded.

"Where is it you're going anyway, Damon?" Caroline asked.

"The Dark Dimension." Damon replied. "It's a different plane of existence. It sounds kind of crazy but it's a nice place." Damon said.

"And there are lots of hot vampire boys there." Noelle winked at Caroline who grinned.

"I don't want to hear this." Damon muttered.

"When do we go?" Caroline asked and everyone laughed.

"Both you and Bonnie are welcome to visit anytime you like as long as you do not inform the doppelganger. She isn't welcome there nor is she to know about the dark dimension." Daisy said.

"Okay." Caroline nodded. "Thank you for inviting us." Caroline smiled.

"I like her." Daisy said to Damon and he smirked.

"Everyone likes her." Bonnie smiled at Caroline fondly.

"Everyone except Damon." Caroline smirked and he rolled his eyes.

"I don't dislike you." Damon said and everyone looked at him curiously. "You aren't the worst person I've ever met." Damon said and everyone laughed.

"He wouldn't have protected you if he didn't like you. Dad doesn't ever do anything out of obligation." Noelle smirked.

"Can we stop talking about me like I'm not here?" Damon asked with a pointed look at Noelle.

"Then stop being a jackass." Noelle said to him and Damon sighed.

"Dying of a werewolf bite and my precious daughter calls me names..." Damon said covering his heart with his hands dramatically. "You wound me, Nonnie." Damon smirked knowing Noelle would be furious with her childhood nickname being said.

"Oh, I'll wound you if you call me that again." She warned and he chuckled.

"Nonnie." He said and she glared at him.

"I mean it." She said.

"I love you, Nonnie." Damon grinned at her and she rolled her eyes.

"I'll just start calling you Damon again." She said and he deadpanned.

"Fine, I'll stop." He said and she smirked while everyone else laughed.

"You really don't like that do you?" She asked amused and he shrugged.

"He really doesn't." Daisy said amused. Damon was about to reply when he felt his chest clench painfully then he was hit with a massive coughing fit and everyone stared at him wide eyed while he made his way into the kitchen. He didn't like anyone to see him weak, let alone his kids. He always wanted to be strong enough to protect them but he felt himself getting weaker and weaker. Charlotte and Daisy followed him in but he shooed them away. When he was finished coughing he washed his hands and cleaned his face as he'd coughed up a fair bit of blood. He took a deep breath then walked back into the living room and sat back down between Daniel and Charlotte. "Sweetie, why didn't you tell me you were coughing up blood?" Daisy asked him concerned and he shrugged.

"It's only happened one other time so far." Damon said casually.

"That means it's progressing quickly." Daisy said alarmed.

"Stop worrying so much." Damon waved away her concern.

"Let me see the bite." Daisy instructed.

"Why?" Damon asked her annoyed.

"Because I'll be able to tell how much time you have left." Daisy replied just as annoyed.

"Whatever." Damon muttered as he rolled up his sleeve and showed her. They all gasped at the sight of the torn flesh.

"Damon, this is bad." Daisy said fearfully. "We only have a few hours left." She said in disbelief and he shrugged.

"Well, I got to spend my last day with my kids so I'm not exactly broken up about it." Damon said.

"Elijah, get back here now or I'm locking you in a cell in the hell dimension." Daisy said as she closed her eyes and called to him.

"You're being a little dramatic, don't you think?" Damon asked Daisy.

"No." She glared. "I don't think I'm being dramatic when you could actually really die, jackass. You should have shown me that earlier and we wouldn't all be dillydallying." She snapped. "Blood. Take my blood, it'll slow it down." She said holding out her wrist near him.

"Fine." Damon muttered then changed his face and sunk his fangs into her wrist while interlacing his fingers with hers to hold her still.

"Keep going." She ordered when he looked like he was going to pull away. He did pull away moments later.

"I feel better." He nodded.

"Liar." She gave him a pointed look and he smirked at her.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Jonah?" Damon asked amused.

"Are you okay?" He asked in a small voice and Damon smiled fondly at him.

"I'm fine, JoJo." Damon said. "Actually, can you come here a second?" Damon asked after a moment's thought. Jonah immediately ran over to him and stood in front of him. "C'mere." Damon held out his hands after he stood up and Jonah lifted his arms up. Damon picked him up then walked out of the room, down the hall and out the door. Damon went down the drive way into the woods and sat down against a tree, keeping Jonah facing him.

"You wanted to talk to me, Daddy?" Jonah asked curiously and Damon nodded sadly.

"Jonah, you know I'm sick with the werewolf bite." Damon said and Jonah nodded. "Your Mama is going to try to make me like her but it's gotten worse quicker than we thought." Damon said softly.

"You promised you wouldn't die." Jonah said as tears welled in his ears.

"I know, JoJo. I don't know if I can keep that promise." Damon said wiping away Jonah's tears. The thought of leaving his kids made him want to cry too but he wouldn't do that to Jonah.

"I love you, Daddy." Jonah said as he sobbed and Damon hugged him tightly.

"I love you so much, Jonah. You'll never know how much Daddy loves you." Damon said softly. "But would you do something for me?" Damon asked as he pulled away.

"Anything you want, Daddy." Jonah said sniffling.

"If your Mama can't fix me, if it's too late, will you promise to be a really good boy for your Mama?" Damon asked.

"I promise. I'll be a good boy, Daddy." He said.

"I'm so proud of you." Damon smiled widely. "Always remember that."

"I will, Daddy." Jonah nodded.

"Let's go back inside." Damon smiled. He was starting to feel really ill and he couldn't risk that he would lose his mind while alone with Jonah. He stood up and started to walk back. "Don't be sad, Jonah." Damon wiped the little boy's eyes. "Everything will be alright." He said softly and Jonah nodded. He went in and everyone saw Jonah's sad little face and their eyes widened. "I'm going downstairs to the cell." Damon announced to them all. "Someone needs to lock me in."

"Dad, we'll watch you." Noelle said confused.

"Have you ever seen a vampire with the werewolf crazies?" Damon asked her and she shook her head. "I won't know it's you." He said softly and her eyes widened. "I can't take that chance with the five of you." Damon said.

"Do you feel different?" Daisy asked concerned.

"Yes." Damon nodded to her and she looked so worried.

"I could go get Elijah but I don't feel comfortable leaving the kids alone." Daisy said to Damon as she thought things over.

"I can take Stefan down." Bonnie said to Daisy seriously and Daisy looked surprised.

"She can." Damon agreed. Damon agreeing was all the confirmation that Daisy needed.

"Okay, so." Daisy said in Queen mode. She had to bark commands otherwise she'd be an emotional mess. "Daniel and Charlotte, can you watch Bonnie and the kids?" She asked and they nodded. "Noelle and Caroline, can you keep Damon company at the cell?" She asked.

"I don't need company, Dais." Damon complained as he set Jonah down. Jonah stayed by his side though.

"Fine, I'll rephrase. Can you two watch and make sure he doesn't get out?" She asked and they nodded. "If he needs blood, give him blood, but once he's in, he doesn't get out." She said.

"Understood." Noelle nodded.

"Come here, you." Daisy said sadly then walked up to Damon, grabbed his face and kissed him passionately. He kissed her back just as fiercely and held her close. She pulled away, gave him a sad smile then popped away in front of him. He rolled his eyes.

"Tease." Damon muttered.

"Daddy? What's a tease?" Jonah asked and they laughed.

"Pretend you didn't hear that." Damon smirked.

"Okay, Daddy." Jonah said.

"Give me a hug." Damon said crouching down and Jonah hugged him tightly.

"I love you, Daddy." Jonah said sadly. Bonnie and Caroline melted at the little child as did Charlotte. They felt tears sting their eyes as he was so upset at the thought of losing his daddy.

"I love you too, Jonah." Damon replied immediately then let him go. "Go play legos. Everything will be fine." Damon smiled warmly at him. The little boy gave him a sad nod then ran back over to his toys. "Right, let's go lock me up." He smirked.

"What about me?" Valentina asked him annoyed and he chuckled.

"Do you want a hug, Valley?" Damon smirked at her and she rolled her eyes then ran over to him. He scooped her up and hugged her tightly.

"I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too." Damon whispered back. "Watch out for Jonah." Damon said to her and she nodded.

"You just concentrate on feeling better." She said and he chuckled.

"I will, angel." He smiled then set her back on her feet. He walked over to the door to the basement. "Come on, Nonnie. Barbie." He smirked then disappeared down while Noelle rolled her eyes and the two girls followed him.

"Dad, this is creepy." Noelle said looking around the cell that Damon sat in and he smirked.

"I know, right?" Damon quipped.

"Want some blood?" Caroline asked him softly and he smiled at her.

"That'd be great, Barbie." Damon nodded and she flitted out the room. Noelle cocked an eyebrow at him but he just rolled his eyes at her silent question.

"Here you go." Caroline said bringing in two bags for him. "Do you want anything else? Something to do in here? Like a book or something?" Caroline asked him.

"I'm not reading Twilight." Damon smirked at her and she giggled.

"You didn't read Twilight, you read Breaking Dawn." She pointed out and Noelle's jaw dropped.

"Whatever. If you want to get me a book, there's plenty in my room." Damon said.

"Okay, I'll be right back." She smiled then she was gone.

"You read Breaking Dawn?" Noelle asked in disbelief.

"Shut up, Nonnie." Damon muttered.

"Do you have a thing for her?" Noelle whispered.

"No." Damon replied.

"You do, don't you?" She asked amused.

"No... I just owe her. A lot." Damon said awkwardly.

"Mmhmm." Noelle said sceptically. "I thought you were getting back together with Mom." She pointed out.

"We are. Well, if I don't die." Damon shrugged.

"You used to be able to tell me anything." Noelle said softly.

"True. Then you didn't speak to me for twenty years, so forgive me if I'm not rushing to tell you every thought I have about everything." Damon sighed.

"You really want to get into this now?" Noelle asked shocked.

"We haven't had a real conversation until today since that night." Damon said. "Don't you think it's about time to get this out?" He asked seriously.

"Can we just not and say we did?" She asked.

"Fine, if you don't want to, then swap places with Charlotte so Caroline can get to know her." Damon muttered then lay down on the bed in the cell and stared at the ceiling.

"Why do you want to talk about this? We've been getting along today." Noelle said annoyed.

"Because you never let me tell you my side of what happened." Damon said absently as he continued to stare at the ceiling. "I killed your fiancé and you never let me explain why." He said.

"I know he was planning to kill me." She said curtly.

"What you don't know is that I found out he'd been studying you for years before you got together because of who your mother is. Her DNA runs through your veins and you were going to be used in a magic ritual to remove her power so she could be overthrown." Damon said and she gaped at him. "That's why I killed him. The second I found out, I killed him and every single one of his little group that were involved in the plan. I told you from day one that there was something seriously off about him and you didn't even trust me." Damon said hurt.

"Dad, you never like anyone I date, how am I supposed to know that you meant it that time?" She asked wryly.

"Because, there's a difference between the principal of hating the guy that's screwing your daughter and hating the guy because he's bad news." Damon replied. "I told you that you couldn't trust him, yet you trusted him over me." Damon said. "Actually, I'm still furious with you. Switch places with Charlotte." Damon seethed. Noelle sighed loudly.

"I didn't trust him over you. You were just completely unreasonable and everyone liked him but you!" She yelled.

"And I was right!" He snapped and she looked taken aback. "I wouldn't ever do anything to hurt you if I could avoid it, Noelle!" He yelled back. "If you were with a guy who I just didn't like but I didn't see him as a threat to you, that would be fine, I'd never do anything then! But I will never let anyone hurt you! Ever!" Damon yelled at her as he stood up. He could see her eyes watering but they had to get this out.

"Why does this even matter anymore?" She asked shakily.

"It matters! I am your father for Christ's sake! When are you going to get it into your thick skull that you are all that matters to me? You and your siblings and your mother are my everything. I would die for you in a heartbeat, Noelle! I've only ever tried to look out for you as best I could and I know you loved that creep and it killed me to hurt you like that but get it into your head... As long as I'm standing, there will be nobody that will hurt you!" He yelled at her and she burst into tears then fell into his chest. He felt terrible but he couldn't bear that she maybe thought he killed her fiancé just because he didn't like him. He could never do that to her.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you, Daddy." She sobbed and he held her tighter.

"I'm sorry you were hurt." Damon replied stoically.

"I missed you so much." She said and he rubbed her back.

"I missed you too." He countered. "I love you, baby." He whispered and she sobbed.

"I love you, Daddy." She replied.

"I never told you why I named you Noelle, did I?" He asked softly and she shook her head. "Noelle means 'day of birth' in Latin. I was actually planning to call you Anaïs. Then I met you and I just so loved my little girl and I felt like my life began again when you were born, so I named you Noelle." He said softly and her heart clenched. "Valley's turning out to be quite like you, actually. She's so smart and interesting and I'm fascinated by her just like I was with you." Damon said softly. Damon felt himself get dizzy and he knew it was time. "Baby, you have to go now." He said.

"I want to stay." She said and held him tighter.

"I can't risk that, Noelle." Damon said seriously. "Go on. Out you go." He let go of her and nudged her to the door, her eyes still running with tears. He closed the door when she was back in the hall and stood looking at her through the bars. "Now lock me in." He instructed and she took a deep breath and pushed the bolt through. "No matter what, you can't come in here." He said. "I'll be in pain but you can't come in here. It's not safe." He said and she nodded. He felt his vision fade and the edges of his mind blurred as he remembered when his twins were born.

* * *

><p>Noelle stood staring as her father fell on the ground and shook and groaned and paled. It was horrible. He started mumbling and she heard her and her brother's name occasionally and wondered what he was remembering. Caroline came down shortly and saw Noelle staring in the cell with tears streaming down her face.<p>

"Is he okay?" Caroline asked concerned and Noelle took a step to the side so she could look in too. Caroline was shocked at how white Damon had suddenly become. His skin looked like wet chalk and all she wanted to do was comfort him.

"My mother has to fix this." Noelle whispered.

"She will." Caroline nodded and Noelle turned to look at her.

"You sound very sure." Noelle said raising an eyebrow at her.

"He just... can't die." Caroline whispered.

"You care about him." Noelle said and Caroline nodded. "He cares about you too. As soon as he found out he would have to be in the Dark Dimension for a while, his first thought was you." Noelle pointed out and Caroline looked stunned.

"We've all been through a lot here. I think it's difficult for him not to care about us all, despite not wanting to." Caroline said absently as she stared at Damon who was unconscious. Noelle stared at Caroline with interest – it was obvious that she had some kind of underlying feelings for Damon that she either didn't know about or wouldn't admit to. Curious.

"What happened between you two?" Noelle asked.

"We were seeing each other for a while but he didn't have his emotions on so it didn't go so well." Caroline smirked, still not looking at Noelle. "I was human at the time." She said.

"And now?" Noelle asked.

"He won't even admit to being my friend so I suppose we are acquaintances that used to see each other." She shrugged. "Can you tell me about the Dark Dimension?" Caroline asked changing the subject.

"It's kind of like an alternate reality. It's still Earth for the most part. Aside from the hell dimension part. It's like 75% demons that live there and the rest are humans." Noelle explained.

"Are the humans there for feeding purposes?" Caroline asked surprised.

"Some but most of them aren't. Some offer themselves to vampires and get paid for their blood. Most of them just go around living their lives and the demons don't touch them." Noelle shrugged. "There are a lot of parties in the Dark Dimension and it helps a lot that you now know the Queen." Noelle laughed. "I really love it there and you probably will too."

"If it's so great, why do you ever stay here?" Caroline asked surprised.

"My mother is ultra strict on feeding. Unless it's one of the humans that do it willingly, we aren't allowed to just grab someone and feed. I actually like feeding on whoever the hell I want." She smirked. "Also, because I'm the Queen's daughter, there's always security everywhere just in case."

"Wouldn't that make you a princess?" Caroline asked curiously and Noelle rolled her eyes.

"Yes, but I get enough of that when I go there. It's a major drag being the Queen's daughter." She chuckled. "But I guess it's safe so I shouldn't complain too much. We're all going to have to be there for Dad's ascension." She muttered.

"How does Charlotte get out of it?" Caroline asked.

"She doesn't have to be there because she isn't technically my mom's daughter. My mom made her a princess too though and loves her just as much as the rest of us, but she won't want to be there for the ascension." Noelle explained.

"Why not?" Caroline asked curiously. She was learning so much and it was fascinating.

"It's not going to be pretty. For the people to see that they have to listen to my dad, he's going to have to torture and kill creatures from the hell dimension that are on the equivalent of 'death row'. He has to do that publicly." Noelle explained. "Charlotte doesn't want to see him like that. She's too sensitive to see him like that."

"Valentina and Jonah don't have to see that though, right?" Caroline asked wide eyed.

"They are supposed to but my mom won't allow that." Noelle replied.

"I feel bad that Damon has to do that." Caroline said. "Why does he have to do that?"

"It's tradition for any new ruler. My mother had to do it when she ascended. One demon every day for a month." Noelle said. "It's done to show that he will not tolerate evil behaviour. The only consolation is that these are demons that have done truly monstrous things. There hasn't been an ascension in like 800 years so it'll bring in quite a crowd." Noelle said. "I'm going to have to meet all of my mother's children who are still alive. They all have to be there if they're supernatural." She rolled her eyes.

"You haven't met all of your siblings?" Caroline asked surprised.

"No, there are a lot of them." Noelle laughed. "My mom is like 5000 years old." She said and Caroline's jaw dropped. "Some of her children chose to stay human though, so they're mostly dead."

"Today has been a really strange day." Caroline said and Noelle laughed.

"I guess you didn't wake up this morning thinking you'd find out my dad had kids with a 5000 year old queen." Noelle smirked and Caroline laughed.

"No, definitely not." Caroline giggled. "How old were you when you turned?" Caroline asked curiously.

"I was 21. My mom has a thing about that. Not before we're 21." Noelle shrugged.

"So you've been a vampire for 61 years?" Caroline asked curiously and Noelle looked surprised. "Damon told me all of your ages in the car." She explained and Noelle nodded. "Do you like it?" She asked.

"I don't ever regret becoming a vampire." Noelle said. "How are you dealing with it?" She asked curiously.

"It was really hard at first. Stefan kept forcing me to drink animal blood but Damon used to slip me blood bags and when Stefan was out with Elena, Damon would train me. Then after I got abducted by werewolves he upped the physical training so that wouldn't happen again." She explained.

"I think he has a thing for you, you know." Noelle smirked and Caroline's eyes bugged then she laughed.

"No, I really don't think so." Caroline laughed. Noelle could see how ridiculous Caroline thought the idea was. "He can't stand me." She said sadly and Noelle laughed.

"You're so wrong." Noelle smirked at Caroline. "If he didn't care about you, he would never have suggested that you go to Boston and hang out with Charlotte. Charlotte is..." Noelle said as she thought about it. "She's special to my dad. She's delicate in his eyes. He wouldn't let just anyone be around her." Noelle smirked. Just then there was a shift in the air next to them and Daisy appeared holding Tyler Lockwood by one arm and Elijah by the other. Caroline was shocked at them just appearing like that.

"Noelle, can you watch the wolf while I go get the others?" Daisy asked.

"Sure." Noelle said then Daisy let go of Tyler and she and Elijah disappeared again.

"Caroline? What's going on?" Tyler asked wide eyed.

"You bit my dad. You're lucky I'm not ripping your heart out as we speak." Noelle said as her true face came through.

"What? What are you talking about?" Tyler asked confused.

"You bit Damon." Caroline said sadly and Tyler's jaw dropped.

"So, sit down and shut up." Noelle barked and Tyler dropped to the floor and leaned against the wall as he sat down.

"Was that mom?" Daniel asked when he came downstairs.

"Yeah, she was just making a wolf deposit." Noelle smirked. "Now go back upstairs." Noelle instructed. He rolled his eyes but did so.

"That guy looks so like Damon." Tyler said in disbelief.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Noelle asked annoyed.

"Noelle?" Noelle snapped her head to the cell.

"How you doing in there, Dad?" She asked in a softer tone.

"Peachy." Damon muttered from his place on the floor. "Stop yelling at the wolf." He said, his voice breaking a little from the pain.

"He bit you." Noelle replied in disbelief.

"Stop arguing with me, Noelle." Damon said more firmly and she rolled her eyes.

"Fine." She muttered. "Why don't you lie up on the bed?" She asked softly.

"I'll get to that in a minute." He muttered and she realised that he couldn't.

"I'll come in and help you." She said.

"What part of 'after I'm in, I don't come out' didn't you get?" Damon asked her annoyed and she rolled her eyes.

"You keep watch at the door and close it if he's going to move. I'll go in." Caroline whispered to Noelle. "You're a lot stronger than me." She said and Noelle cocked an eyebrow at her then nodded. She unlocked the door and Caroline hurried in to the cell and Noelle locked it behind her.

"What the hell are you doing, Barbie?" Damon asked in disbelief.

"Helping." She shrugged then pulled him up by the arm so that he was standing then helped him over to the bed and lay him down. "That's got to be a little more comfortable." She smiled at him and he rolled his eyes.

"I could have done that myself." He muttered and she laughed.

"I know that." She lied. "I just thought it would be better to conserve your strength." She said and Noelle watched with interest. She seemed to know Damon really well. Caroline went over to the two blood bags and brought one over. "Here." She said then opened a bag and offered it to him.

"Cheers." Damon nodded then drank down the bag. "Now, get out before I lose my mind again." Damon said but of course she ignored him.

"So, I brought down a few different books for you." She reached into her shoulder bag and took out a few. "Those are your favourites, right?" She asked him as she set them next to him on the bed.

"Yes." Damon nodded as he looked at them. "Thank you. Now, out." He nodded to the door.

"Think you need more blood?" She asked him seriously.

"Caroline." Damon said annoyed.

"Probably wouldn't hurt." She said to herself then went over and got the other packet and opened it.

"I don't want any more." He said to her and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"You need all the strength you can get, Damon. So drink it and stop being a pain in the ass." She said as she handed it to him. He rolled his eyes then drank it down. "Good. Is there anything else you want? It's kind of crap in here." She looked around the cell.

"Yes, I want you to get out." He muttered.

"Aside from that." She put her hands on her hips as she glared at him.

"Stop babying me." He glared back.

"I'm not babying you, Damon." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm just trying to make this a little easier for you considering you look like crap so I doubt you feel much better." She said annoyed. "You have five kids that need you to not kick the bucket so stop being difficult and tell me if there's something you want or need!" She snapped and he sighed.

"Fine." He muttered. She walked over to him and put her hand on his forehead.

"You're burning up." She said surprised. "I'll be right back." She said and he rolled his eyes. She went over to the door and Noelle let her out then locked it behind her. Caroline darted up the stairs and Noelle laughed.

"Don't say anything, Noelle." Damon warned.

"Wouldn't dream of it." She smirked at him and he huffed. Caroline was back downstairs about a minute later with a small face cloth and tub of water and a blanket. Noelle let her back in to the cell and locked it behind her.

"What on earth are you doing now?" Damon asked in disbelief as she set the water down on the ground. She covered him with the blanket.

"Move over." She nudged him.

"I'm going to stake you for this." Damon said and she laughed.

"Yes, Damon. I know." She smiled at him. She dunked the face cloth in the water then squeezed it to get the excess water from it. She perched on the edge of the bed and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Doesn't that feel a little better?" She asked softly.

"No." He lied and she smiled. She dunked it again, squeezed it then rolled it up and set it on his forehead. "Why are you bothering with this? I'm a vampire for God's sake. A cloth isn't going to do anything." He complained and she laughed knowing it obviously did make him feel a little better.

"Well, I'm guessing your body will use up the blood much quicker if it's trying to heal your fever too. Maybe if you cool down a little it will conserve some of your energy." She explained softly. Noelle was fascinated by their interaction.

"I don't remember you getting a nursing degree." Damon said wryly and she laughed.

"It's common sense, Damon. I know you don't think I have any but I managed to survive you." She teased and he rolled his eyes. He was trying not to smile at that.

"You won't if I don't die from this." He warned and she giggled.

"You've tried three times and each time it was foiled." She winked.

"Fourth time lucky." He smirked at her. "Though, I think Jonah would be upset with me if I off'd you." Damon said amused.

"What did he whisper to you?" Caroline asked curiously.

"Which time?" Damon chuckled.

"When you agreed to get him a Barbie." Caroline said and he laughed.

"He wanted to get one so he'd always remember you." Damon said amused.

"Aww. He's so cute." Caroline blushed. "How is it possible that _your_ kids are so nice?" She asked and he laughed.

"Blame their mother for that one." Damon smirked. "Though, I managed to corrupt Noelle a little." Damon smirked.

"Your colour is a little better now." She pointed out when she dunked the cloth again then replaced it.

"It's the blood." Damon lied. He did feel a little better.

"Mmhmm." Caroline smirked at him and he rolled his eyes.

"Okay, you've played nurse. Out." He said.

"Close your eyes." She said to him after she dunked the cloth again.

"Why?" Damon asked her annoyed.

"If you close your eyes, I'll leave." She said and he sighed then closed his eyes. She washed down his whole face then put the cloth in the bucket. "There." She smiled when he opened them again. "Just say if you need something, okay?" She asked him as she stood up.

"Okay." He nodded and she smiled at him then went to the door and Noelle let her out and locked it again.

"You do look better, Dad." Noelle said amused and Damon huffed.

"Yeah, yeah." Damon muttered and both girls laughed.


	6. Charlotte

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

* * *

><p>His Secrets<p>

Chapter 6

* * *

><p>"Noelle, I think you should swap places with Charlotte." Damon said from his bed in the cell. He'd had another memory take over for a short while and he noticed that Caroline and Noelle were getting along far too well in his opinion.<p>

"Why?" Noelle asked annoyed.

"The whole point of Barbie coming here was to get to know Charlotte, not you." Damon pointed out.

"If she's as nice as Noelle, I'm sure we'll get along great." Caroline said to Damon who chuckled.

"Noelle is nice?" Damon laughed. "Thanks. I needed a laugh." He said and Noelle scowled at him.

"Just because you're an ass all the time doesn't mean everyone is." Noelle replied wryly.

"Just swap places with Charlotte." Damon muttered.

"You just want to see your favourite, don't you?" Noelle asked amused and Damon sighed.

"I don't have favourites, Nonnie." Damon replied. "Charlotte just doesn't piss me off like you do." He said and she laughed.

"It's a daughter's job to piss their dad off. It's like a fact." Noelle replied amused and Damon rolled his eyes.

"If you don't swap places with Charlotte, I'll tell your mother what really happened to her favourite hell hound." Damon smirked and Noelle's eyes widened.

"Fine, I'm going." She muttered. "What should I do with the wolf scum?" She asked and Damon chuckled.

"Barbie can watch him while you go upstairs." Damon shrugged.

"Is this just so you can be alone with Caroline?" Noelle asked amused and Damon glared at her while Caroline blushed.

"No, Noelle. Now piss off." Damon said annoyed and she laughed.

"Love you too, Dad." She smirked then took off upstairs.

"Just ignore her. She's delusional." Damon muttered.

"Can I come watch your ascension?" Caroline asked him and his jaw dropped.

"Did Noelle tell you about that?" Damon asked her shocked.

"Yeah." Caroline nodded.

"I wish she hadn't told you that." Damon mumbled.

"So can I come or not?" She asked. Damon felt a little panicked at the thought of her seeing him like that. He didn't want her to be afraid of him anymore.

"Why would you want to watch me torture demons?" Damon asked her in disbelief.

"Noelle told me there hasn't been an ascension in like 800 years. She made it sound like it was a big event. She said supernaturals from all over the world would be going." She shrugged. "Sounds like a once in a lifetime kind of experience." She said.

"I don't want you to come." Damon said bluntly.

"Why not?" She asked confused and Damon sighed. He knew that everyone would hear him if he spoke too loudly.

"I don't want you to see me like that." Damon whispered staring at the ceiling. Caroline was stunned that he gave a crap about how she saw him.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because it's bad enough what I did to you when my emotions were off." He whispered.

"I forgive you for that." She whispered back and he turned to look at her in surprise. Before he could say anything else Charlotte hurried down the stairs.

"Hi, are you Tyler?" Charlotte asked and Tyler looked up in surprise.

"Yeah." He nodded and she smiled at him kindly.

"I'm Charlotte. I'm sorry about my sister, she's really rude." Charlotte said apologetically.

"It's okay." He smiled back at her and she nodded then looked into the cell and tears welled in her eyes. Tyler moved down the hall to be as far away from them all as possible. He was quite scared of the real reason for him being there... even if Charlotte was ridiculously gorgeous.

"How you feeling, Dad?" Charlotte asked softly.

"Just fine, Angel." Damon smiled at her. Caroline saw the difference in how he looked at Charlotte. It was like he wanted to protect her from everything, whereas, he knew Noelle could protect herself.

"Mom brought the vampire." Charlotte said. She sometimes called Daisy 'Mom' because she'd been in her life for nearly 130 years and basically was her mother.

"A random vampire is upstairs with the kids?" Damon asked annoyed.

"Mom compelled him, don't worry." She said softly and Damon nodded.

"Angel, talk to Barbie." Damon directed and the girls giggled. "That's why she's here you know." He pointed out.

"Dad, stop calling her Barbie. That's mean." She chastised. Damon felt his mind slipping and he felt himself saying out loud what he was thinking without meaning to.

"Barbie dolls were supposed to be made to look like the perfect woman, it's a compliment." Damon said and both girls jaws dropped then they noticed him fade away into a memory then he passed out.

"I don't think he meant to say that out loud." Charlotte said to Caroline apologetically.

"It may be the nicest thing he's ever said about me." Caroline grinned at her. She was too shocked to dwell on it so she changed the subject. "So why do you live in Boston? What do you like about it?"

"Well, I work for a fashion magazine." Charlotte said.

"Wow, that's cool." Caroline grinned.

"Thanks, I love it. Are you into fashion?" Charlotte asked curiously and Caroline giggled.

"Why don't you ask Damon when he wakes up? I'm sure he thinks the only thing I do with my time is shop." Caroline said and Charlotte laughed.

"Well, if you feel like coming to Boston, I can get you a job at the magazine." Charlotte smiled.

"That would be amazing! Thank you so much." Caroline said excitedly. "What would I do?" She asked curiously.

"Well, I know they're looking for someone to work in the closet. I could recommend you." She grinned.

"Are you serious? I think that would be like a dream job." Caroline said in disbelief and Charlotte smiled.

"Then it'll be yours." Charlotte grinned. "Boston's great. There's a lot of great shopping, the food's great, people are nice, boys are cute." She smiled.

"Where would I live?" Caroline asked curiously.

"With me." Charlotte smiled. "I have a three bedroom apartment. I turned one of the bedrooms into a closet though." She giggled as did Caroline.

"Wow, that's cool." She smiled. "You wouldn't mind?" She asked.

"No, not at all. It would be great to know another vampire. I don't have any vampire friends in Boston." She replied.

"Great, well I'm in." She smiled.

"That's awesome." Charlotte grinned.

"How often do you visit the Dark Dimension?" Caroline asked curiously.

"Well, a lot of changes happened at the magazine so I haven't been in a month but I usually go every other day or so. Because of my job I can be flexible with how much time I spend at the actual office. I can do a lot of work from home so I'd rather spend time with my family on those days off." She explained. "It's really wonderful there." She smiled.

"How come you don't live there all the time then?" Caroline asked curiously.

"Because my Dad's here." She said.

"Well, if he'll be living there now, think you'll change your mind?" Caroline asked.

"Yeah." Charlotte nodded. "Once people in work start to notice that I'm not aging I'll move over there." She smiled. "So that should be in about a year or so since I've worked there for three years already. I've noticed it usually gets to the four year mark before people start to comment on it."

"I'm really looking forward to visiting the Dark Dimension." Caroline grinned.

"It's amazing. I spend a lot of time with my little brother and sister." She smiled. "I do like the parties and clubs but family is really important to me." Charlotte said.

"Jonah is so cute." Caroline said and Charlotte laughed.

"He's precious. He has a bit of a hard time over there though. That's another reason I try to be there as much as possible." Charlotte said.

"How does he have a hard time?" Caroline asked concerned. She really liked Damon's family so much and the little boy was just so adorably cute.

"Jonah's a very interactive child. He loves to sit and talk about things and as I'm sure you saw, he asks questions about everything, he basically craves company, but in the Dark Dimension he spends a lot of time alone. I'm thinking about going for Dad's ascension but not to the arena. I'm thinking I'll spend the month with Jonah. He doesn't like his nanny because she doesn't want to sit and talk to him all the time or play with him all the time." She explained and Caroline nodded.

"That's sweet of you. Can I come with you?" She asked and Charlotte grinned.

"Of course." She nodded.

"Damon doesn't want me to watch the ascension though." Caroline said and Charlotte had a look of surprise wash over her face but she covered it quickly.

"You can hang out with Jonah and me if you want to. He'd love that." Charlotte giggled. "He has a little crush on you." She said and Caroline smiled.

"I love kids so that would be great." She grinned.

"The ceremonies are during the day but at night is when the major partying happens apparently. So you could hang out with Jonah and me during the day and we could party at night. It'll be fun. I'm going to go to the final ceremony on the last day of the month though. I don't want to see my dad torture a demon but he's becoming the Prince on that day so I really should be there to show my support." She said.

"Where would I live there?" Caroline asked curiously.

"In the palace with all of us." Charlotte replied.

"Do you think Damon would be ascending if he hadn't been bitten?" Caroline asked and Charlotte shook her head.

"No, never. My dad never wanted to ascend." She said. "If it weren't for Jonah, I'm sure my dad would just want to let the bite kill him." She said sadly.

"Why would he rather die than ascend?" Caroline asked shocked.

"Because he can never stop being the Prince once he's accepted the role. The only way he can give up his place is if he dies. Daisy has been the queen there for over 800 years. Before that it was her father." Charlotte said. "And when he's changed into a combination demon, he'll be almost unstoppable. He doesn't want to be unstoppable." She said sadly.

"What will it mean for him to be the Prince?" Caroline asked softly.

"That's probably the only upside for him because Daisy will do most of the ruling because she's the blood heir and honestly, he's not remotely interested... You know, I love my dad more than anything in the world but part of me thinks Daisy should just let him die." Charlotte said and Caroline's eyes widened.

"Why?" She gasped.

"Because he won't be happy. Daisy can't give him what he wants." Charlotte whispered so Tyler wouldn't hear.

"What do you mean?" Caroline asked confused.

"Daisy was turned into a combination demon about 2000 years ago. Before that she was an immortal succubus for over 3000 years. A vampire feeds on blood but a succubus feeds on sex and energy. My dad will never be enough for her but he agreed to the ascension on the understanding that Daisy would no longer be with anyone else but she can still sleep with whoever she wants... That'll last for like a month." Charlotte said.

"I don't understand why Damon wouldn't be enough." Caroline said and Charlotte had to concentrate so her jaw wouldn't drop.

"I'm guessing because she fed through sex for nearly 5000 years before she met him." Charlotte said. "But dad knows that she won't be able to stick to that."

"Then why do it?" Caroline asked confused.

"Because he's a romantic." Charlotte smiled softly and Caroline looked stunned. "He and I grew up in a time where you married and had children and you were faithful to your wife. After living so long, being faithful sexually doesn't matter to him anymore but he wants to be someone's number one in their heart. I love Daisy so much and she is truly wonderful, but I think she's lived too long to ever only hold one person in her heart." Charlotte said sadly.

* * *

><p>Caroline and Charlotte stood talking and getting to know each other for almost an hour when Daisy finally came back with the skin walker and the incubus. She hurried down to the cell with them and the vampire.<p>

"How is he?" Daisy asked when she got to the girls.

"Dais... He's been unconscious for an hour." Charlotte said softly and Daisy's eyes widened.

"Oh, god." She gasped then flung the cell door open and hurried in to see Damon. "Damon, you need to wake up. I need you awake for this." She said to him. He didn't stir. She allowed her face to change to its rarely used vampiric form and she bit into her wrist and put it to his mouth. Moments later he started to softly suck then in one swift move Damon had her pinned to the wall and he ripped into her throat.

"Dad!" Charlotte yelled as she watched in horror.

"Don't worry, sweetie. At least he's awake." Daisy smiled at her. She could easily overpower him but she wanted him to be as strong as possible so that his body would complete the transition. A few minutes later he pulled away wide eyed.

"Sorry, Dais." Damon said sadly and she smiled.

"You know that I could have stopped you, sweetie." She stroked his cheek. "I have them all here. You ready?" She asked and he saw the pure delight on her face.

"If I must." He nodded and her smile fell.

"What's wrong?" She asked softly.

"Can I have some time to get used to the change before I ascend?" He asked.

"You can have as much time as you need, sweetheart." She promised.

"Alright then." Damon agreed.

"Dad, are you sure?" Charlotte asked him worriedly and he turned and smiled reassuringly at her.

"Don't worry, Angel. It'll all be fine." He said to her.

"Charlotte, sweetheart? Can you go find me a stake?" Daisy asked her and Charlotte and Caroline's jaws dropped.

"What for?" Charlotte asked in disbelief.

"I have to die with all the different bloods in my system." Damon said to her.

"You're going to stake him?" Charlotte exclaimed. Moments later, Noelle and Daniel were in the cell with them.

"You're staking, Daddy?" Noelle asked her mother in disbelief.

"You're all drama queens." Damon rolled his eyes. "You have to die to become a vampire. You have to die to become a combination demon. Let's not make a big deal out of it." Damon said annoyed.

"Are you going to do it, Mom?" Daniel asked his mother horrified.

"I'll do it myself." Damon said amused. "But you're all pissing me off now, so go upstairs and make sure Jonah and Valley are alright. You don't all have to be here." Damon pointed out.

"I'm staying." Charlotte said stoically surprising the others as she'd always been delicate.

"No, you're not." Damon said stonily. "All of you. Out. Now." Damon pointed to the door. Daniel nodded then left and went back upstairs.

"Dad..." Noelle started softly.

"No. Out." Damon said then she followed her brother back upstairs.

"Go on up, Caroline. I'm staying whether he likes it or not." Charlotte said then Caroline left too.

"Charlotte Marie Salvatore." Damon said angrily.

"Damon Lorenzo Salvatore." Charlotte put her hands on her hips and stared at him defiantly. She was never one to go against her father but she knew how much he didn't want to do this and she wanted to be there for him. Noelle reappeared and handed Daisy a stake then hurried back upstairs.

"Fine." Damon said annoyed. "All these women ruling my life..." He muttered to himself and both Daisy and Charlotte giggled.

"You still want to be mainly a vampire, right?" Daisy asked and he nodded. "Wolf, come here." Daisy yelled and Tyler came in sheepishly. "We need your blood to cure him." She said in a no nonsense tone.

"No, I want to be an incubus the least." Damon said to her and her jaw dropped.

"What?" She asked shocked.

"I don't mean to offend you by saying that, but it's the truth and if I have to do this, I'm doing it this way." Damon said to her and she blinked in surprise.

"How could you want to be more werewolf than incubus?" Daisy asked confused.

"Because I don't want to accidentally suck the life out of someone just by kissing them." Damon said bluntly.

"You learn to control it. It won't always be that way." Daisy said pleadingly.

"Mom, he's already changing and ascending for you. Let him do this his way." Charlotte said and Daisy looked truly hurt as she was proud to be mostly a succubus and thought Damon would be proud to be part incubus too.

"Alright." She nodded. "Troy, come here, please." She called and a stunning tall dark haired man walked into the cell. Tyler was still in the cell standing off to the side and he was truly confused as to what was going on but he was too afraid to ask questions. "Damon, feed on his blood but if you're serious about this awful decision you only need about a mouthful." She muttered and Troy held up his wrist to Damon. Damon sighed then bit into his wrist and took a mouthful then pulled away. "Thank you, Troy, you can go back outside. I'll take you home in a minute." She said and he bowed his head to her then went back into the hall. "Please tell me that skin walker will be your second and not werewolf." Daisy said to Damon annoyed.

"Werewolf next." Damon agreed. "How much blood this time?" He asked.

"About three mouthfuls." She muttered.

"Do you mind, Tyler?" Damon asked him.

"Can I leave after that?" Tyler eyed Daisy warily.

"Daisy can make you human again if you would want that." Damon said to him and Tyler looked stunned.

"More than anything I don't want to be a werewolf." He said seriously.

"Excellent." Daisy nodded, instantly hating him less. Tyler walked over to Damon and held up his wrist. Damon bit into him gently as he didn't feel that Tyler deserved anymore trauma. Damon drank down three mouthfuls of his blood then pulled away. "After Damon has turned, I will remove your werewolf curse for you." Daisy said and Tyler smiled.

"Thank you." He said genuinely then hurried out of the cell.

"For the skin walker, I want you to drink until you hear his heartbeat slow a little." Daisy said to Damon and he nodded. "Zerus, come in please." She called and a weird looking blonde man came into the cell and bared his neck to Damon who bit into it and drank deeply then pulled away as she directed. "Thank you, you may go back and wait with Troy." Daisy said to the skin walker then he bowed to her and went back into the hall. "Charlotte, can you walk the vampire in here? He's under compulsion to stand still because he's not doing this willingly." She said then Charlotte went into the hall and got the vampire who had a blank look on his face. "You need to drain him dry." Daisy said. "He's 750 years old so you'll still be mostly vampire." She said to Damon. He grabbed the vampire then drained him completely dry.

"That's a really strange blood mix." Damon said as they'd all tasted kind of weird.

"It does taste strange, huh?" Daisy agreed.

"What now?" Damon asked.

"Now, you die. I'll take care of the ritual while you're dead." She said. "Lie down and I'll stake you." She said to him and he shrugged then lay down. Charlotte hurried over and held his hand and he kissed her hand.

"It's not too late. You can still change your mind." Charlotte said to him softly and he stroked her cheek.

"Don't worry so much, Angel. You don't suit the broody look." Damon smirked and she smiled.

"Caroline agreed to come to Boston with me." Charlotte told him and he nodded.

"I figured the minute you told her about the magazine she'd be in." He smirked.

"I'll come to the dark dimension with you." Charlotte said and he shook his head.

"Go back to Boston with Barbie. Dais will let you know when I'm alright to see you. I'm not going to be completely stable for a little while." He said.

"I want to be there for you." She said.

"I'll call you the second I wake up. Go back to Boston." Damon said and she sighed.

"Alright. I love you." She said and he smiled.

"I love you too, Angel." He said and she squeezed his hand gently. "Okay, c'mon, Dais." Damon said as he lay on his back on the bed in the cell. She walked over to him and kissed him softly then positioned the stake over his heart. He saw that she was hesitating as she really didn't want to stake him so faster than she could register his free hand shot up and pushed her hand down and she gasped. "See you soon." Damon winked at her then he greyed and died. Daisy sat down next to him and stroked his cheek.

"Why did you tell him it wasn't too late and he could change his mind?" Daisy asked Charlotte in a small voice.

"Because you know how much he didn't want this." Charlotte said seriously. "You wanted this. You've wanted this for over a century, Mom. The only reason he did this is Jonah. You're the queen of the Dark Dimension. I don't believe that this was the only way for you to cure a wolf bite." Charlotte said and Daisy looked stunned. "You've wanted dad to be your Prince for so long and I understand that he agreed to it so it wasn't like you forced him, but he'll be miserable. Just remember that." Charlotte said.

"You seriously think he'll be miserable?" Daisy said guiltily as her eyes welled up with tears.

"If you force him to ascend, he will be miserable." Charlotte nodded. "I don't think it had anything to do with Katherine, when you left him two years ago. You were only looking for an excuse because you wanted to be free for a while. You should have just been honest with him. If you told him you wanted freedom for a while, he would have given you that. He would do anything for you." She sighed.

"That may have been a small part of it but mostly I was jealous of him wanting to get Katherine out." Daisy admitted sheepishly. "But you know the laws, Charlotte. A combination demon can only be made if ascension is in their future." She said. "My father made me so that I could take over for him."

"Then let him wait for a while. He's not even two centuries old yet." Charlotte said.

"Okay. He can wait as long as he wants." Daisy nodded in agreement. "I need to return the others to the Dark Dimension. The stake needs to stay in. Can you watch over him?" She asked.

"Of course." Charlotte nodded. Daisy compelled Tyler to go to sleep in the hall then compelled the other three and disappeared with them leaving Charlotte and dead Damon alone. Noelle hurried down the stairs shortly afterwards and gasped when she saw him.

"That's horrible." Noelle said as she stared at her dead father and Charlotte nodded.

"I know you don't like spending a lot of time in the dark dimension but you need to. We all do. We have to make this as easy as possible for him." Charlotte said.

"Of course." Noelle nodded. "Are you really taking Caroline to Boston?" She whispered.

"Yeah, why?" Charlotte asked.

"You should always bring her with you when you visit him. I think that'll make him happy." Noelle said quietly and Charlotte's jaw dropped.

"What?" She asked.

"Dad totally has a thing for her." Noelle whispered.

"But what about Mom?" Daisy asked surprised and Noelle waved her hand.

"You know what Mom's like. Besides, you didn't see the two of them together. She totally bossed him around and he let her." Noelle whispered and Charlotte looked surprised.

"Are you serious?" Charlotte whispered.

"Yeah. I think they both have a thing for each other but neither knows it." Noelle said amused.

"Don't stick your nose in, Noelle." Charlotte warned.

"I would never." Noelle smirked and Charlotte rolled her eyes.

* * *

><p>Upstairs, Daniel, Caroline, Bonnie and the kids were in the living room. Daniel was on the floor with Jonah building a lego chair. Jonah whispered in Daniel's ear and he smiled down at his little brother then walked over to where the girls sat talking.<p>

"Caroline?" Daniel asked her softly and she looked at him. "Jonah wants to know if you want to help him build his lego chair." He smiled amused and Caroline and Bonnie giggled.

"I'd love to." She smiled then stood up and walked over to Jonah and sat down across from him. "Hi, Jonah." She smiled and the little boy blushed.

"Hi, Caroline." He replied shyly.

"How big are you making your lego chair?" She asked him.

"Big enough so Daddy can sit in it." He replied and she smiled.

"What kind of chair is it?" She asked him.

"I want to make Daddy a comfortable chair to sit in so he'll get better." Jonah said innocently. Caroline and Bonnie thought it was so cute and a little heartbreaking too.

"That's so sweet of you, Jonah." Caroline smiled. "Your Dad's going to be okay, you know. You're Mom's making sure of that." She said and Jonah smiled.

"Did he look better when you were downstairs?" He asked her hopefully. She didn't want to lie to him but she didn't want to tell him the truth either.

"He was still the same when I was downstairs but I came upstairs because your Mom is fixing him right now." She said and he grinned.

"So he'll be all better?" Jonah asked with a grin.

"He'll be all better." Caroline nodded with a smile.

"Then we don't have to make him a get better chair." Jonah said thoughtfully. "What other kind of chair?" He asked her.

"What about a throne?" Daniel asked amused and Caroline giggled.

"That's all Damon needs. More ego." She smirked and Daniel and Bonnie laughed.

"What does ego mean?" Jonah asked innocently.

"It means that your daddy thinks he's very cool." Caroline said and Jonah giggled.

"Daddy says he's cool all the time." Jonah nodded in agreement and they all laughed.

"Have you thought about what pet you'll get Jonah?" Bonnie asked him.

"Well, if I get to see Daddy all the time, maybe I don't need a pet." Jonah said and everyone said 'aww'.

"Everybody should have a pet." Bonnie replied with a smile.

"Maybe Daddy can decide then." Jonah said as he surveyed the half made chair.

"I think you should get a puppy. I had a puppy when I was your age and I loved him so much." Caroline said to him and he smiled.

"I'll ask Daddy if he'd like that too." Jonah nodded.

"You love your daddy, don't you?" Bonnie asked with a big smile.

"I love Daddy this much." Jonah said and stretched his arms as wide as he could and everyone smiled.

"Jonah, you should totally get a puppy." Valentina said.

"Valley, maybe Daddy would let you have a puppy for your birthday if you want one." Jonah said to her.

"He'll probably just say I have to be eighteen for that too." She muttered and they laughed.

"Can I tell you a secret, Valley?" Daniel asked her amused.

"I love secrets." She grinned at her big brother.

"Dad eases up with the eighteen thing once you get a little older." Daniel smirked and they laughed.

"Like what?" She asked curiously.

"Well what has he said you can't do until you're eighteen?" Daniel asked.

"I can't swear, drink alcohol, dye my hair, get a tattoo, get a piercing or go anywhere by myself until I'm eighteen. There's probably more, I just can't remember." She said annoyed and they laughed. "And I'm apparently not allowed to kiss or date boys ever and absolutely never am I allowed to do the thing Jonah can't know until he's eight." She said and they laughed.

"He'll ease up on all of them except the boys part." He said amused. "I agree with him on that one." Daniel winked at her and Caroline and Bonnie giggled while Valentina rolled her eyes. "Though, going somewhere by yourself when you're human and the Queen's daughter is something he'll stick to. You'll be able to go do things but you'll always have someone looking out for you." Daniel said.

"When did you become a vampire, Daniel?" Valentina asked him curiously.

"A month after my 21st birthday." He replied. "Noelle turned on our birthday then bugged me for a month to do it too." He said.

"Can I be a vampire when I turn eighteen?" She asked him and he shook his head.

"No, mom's rule is 21. Do you think you'll want to be a vampire, Valley?" He asked surprised.

"Of course." She nodded.

"Why?" He asked her curiously.

"Most of my family are vampires, why wouldn't I?" She asked him.

"You could always be something else." Daniel shrugged.

"Mom doesn't want me to be a werewolf, Dad doesn't want me to be a succubus, skin walkers and witches are mortal so it only leaves vampire." She shrugged.

"It'll be your choice one day, Valley. If you want to be a werewolf or a succubus, you can do that." He nodded. "Besides, Mom could make you an immortal skin walker if you wanted that one." He said.

"What is a skin walker?" Caroline asked curiously.

"Shape shifter. They can turn into any other living being." Daniel said.

"You mean like another person?" Caroline asked stunned.

"Yeah, another person or any animal." Daniel said.

"That's cool." Caroline grinned. "Why didn't you choose that?" She asked curiously.

"Noelle." He laughed. "She made me be a vampire." He said amused.

"I didn't make you be a vampire, D." Noelle said rolling her eyes as she walked in the room. "I simply pointed out the benefits to you." She said with a smirk and they laughed.

"Who is the older twin?" Bonnie asked curiously.

"Me." Daniel said amused. "Noelle is 38 minutes younger than me technically but she's stronger as a vampire as she's a month older. It's kind of funny." He smiled fondly at his sister.

"Don't kid yourself, Daniel. I could kick your ass as a human too." She smirked and he chuckled. He couldn't really argue that as she'd always been tough.

"So? What's going on downstairs?" Daniel asked her.

"That thing that was going to happen... happened." She said sadly.

"Grey?" Daniel asked her wide eyed and she nodded.

"So freaky." She replied.

"What happened?" Jonah asked them innocently.

"Dad's turning, Jonah." Daniel smiled at him.

"Into what Mama is?" He asked curiously.

"Exactly." Noelle smiled at her baby brother.

"Can I see Daddy now?" Jonah asked softly.

"Not yet, Jojo." Noelle said. "But really soon." She promised and he smiled.

"Is Charlotte staying down there?" Daniel asked Noelle.

"Yeah, she's keeping an eye on him." Noelle said.

"Is she alright... considering..." Daniel said.

"Surprisingly calm." Noelle nodded.

"I have no clue what you two are talking about." Bonnie said to them.

"Uh... you know the thing that has to happen to make a vampire then they wake up?" Daniel asked her and Bonnie's jaw dropped.

"Daddy's dead?" Jonah gasped wide eyed and Noelle slapped her hand to her head. They forgot she'd told Jonah the process earlier. The little boy started to cry then.

"Crap." Daniel said then hurried over to Jonah and lifted him up and hugged him. Noelle went over to them and rubbed Jonah's back as he sobbed into Daniel's shoulder.

"He'll come back, sweetie. Don't worry. It's just so he'll be strong. I promise." Noelle said soothingly to him. "Smooth, Daniel." She muttered.

"I forgot." He said apologetically.

"Wait just a minute." Valentina put her hands on her hips. "Daddy is lying downstairs dead right now?" She asked in disbelief. "How could you not tell me that?" She yelled at them.

"Oh, God. Dad's going to go nuts at us." Noelle said to Daniel.

"I want to go see him... I want my Daddy." Jonah said through his tears. Caroline and Bonnie were getting misty at how upset little Jonah was.

"Not right now, Jonah." Daniel said soothingly.

"Yes, now! We're his kids too! We have a right to see him as much as you do!" Valentina said angrily.

"It'll upset you both." Daniel said to her softly.

"If you haven't noticed, we're already upset!" Valentina snapped.

"He's already going to yell at us." Noelle pointed out.

"Please can I see Daddy?" Jonah said to Daniel with the saddest little face he'd ever seen and he sighed.

"Mom's going to lock us in the hell dimension for this." Daniel muttered.

"You can both go see Dad, if you promise to remember that he's coming back. He won't stay dead, okay?" Noelle said to both of them.

"Okay." Jonah said immediately.

"Fine." Valentina glared at her sister.

"Let's go down then." Noelle said. Bonnie and Caroline followed them down as well and Charlotte's eyes widened when she saw the kids coming in the cell.

"Are you out of your minds?" Charlotte asked the twins and they shrugged. Jonah was set down then he ran over and climbed up on top of Damon and sat on his stomach and stared at his face.

"Daddy, you'll come back soon." Jonah whispered to dead Damon. Valentina walked over and touched Damon's cheek.

"Did it hurt?" She asked Charlotte in a small voice.

"No, sweetheart. I saw it. It didn't hurt him." Charlotte said. "He'll come back as good as new." She said soothingly then rubbed a hand over Jonah's back. "You should all go back upstairs now that you've seen him." She said with a pointed look to Daniel and Noelle. Caroline and Bonnie were stunned to see Damon dead with a stake through his heart.

"I want to stay here until Daddy wakes up." Jonah said to Charlotte in a small shaky voice and she wiped his cheeks of his tears.

"Daddy wouldn't like that." Charlotte said knowing it would maybe be the only way to console the boy.

"He wouldn't?" Jonah asked wide eyed. Jonah never wanted to do anything that his Daddy wouldn't like.

"No. Do you remember Daddy told you to play with your legos and not to worry?" Charlotte asked him and he nodded. "He wouldn't want you down here worrying about him. You could make him something with your legos. He would so love that, Jonah." Charlotte said and the little boy smiled.

"Okay!" He smiled then climbed down from Damon and hurried back over to Daniel who picked him up and took him back upstairs.

"Reverse psychology won't work with me, Charlie." Valentina said crossing her arms over her chest and she laughed a little.

"Maybe not but I heard you swear earlier when Dad was out and I would be happy to tell him about it." Charlotte said and Valentina's jaw dropped.

"You wouldn't." She said.

"Valley, this is hard for Dad. Can't you just go upstairs and make it a little easier for him? If you stay down here until he wakes up, he'll be so worried about you and he's got enough to worry about." Charlotte said hoping the girl would understand.

"I just want him back to normal." Valentina admitted with watery eyes. "Jonah and I hadn't seen Daddy in over two weeks because of all of the things going on in this stupid town. I don't want him to be different." She said as tears escaped down her cheeks and Charlotte's heart clenched. She stood up and hugged Valentina.

"He'll be fine, sweetheart. He'll become like Mom and you'll get to see him all the time. Don't worry, Valley. He doesn't have to worry about anything but you and Jonah anymore. Everything will be okay." She promised and Valentina hugged her tightly back.

"C'mon, Valley. Why don't we go upstairs and watch a movie?" Noelle said to her and she pulled away from Charlotte.

"Okay." She said then left Charlotte and went with Noelle, leaving Charlotte with Bonnie and Caroline.

"That was so sad." Bonnie said.

"I know to outsiders he doesn't portray himself in the best light, but he's very good to all of us." Charlotte said to them as she retook her seat next to Damon. "He's such an amazing Dad."

"He told me earlier that your mother died when you were a teenager and you went to live with him." Bonnie said and Charlotte nodded. "Was that the first time you met?" She asked and Charlotte giggled.

"Heavens no. My mother knew what he was so she used to sneak me to see him. He saw me every day before he turned when he wasn't at the war then after his brother finished dragging him around everywhere with him, he came back to see me again when he was in control. He saw me at least every week, if not more, but it obviously had to be in secret because everyone in Mystic Falls thought he was dead. My mother was really sick for most of my childhood so my dad was there a lot with us to take care of me since she couldn't do it. He wanted to take us with him but he couldn't risk his brother finding out about us. Stefan didn't know that he'd had a child with my mother and because he was a ripper then, he would have seen me and my mother as competition for Dad's attention and killed us. Then after my mother died, I went with him and we lived in hiding most of the time until he introduced me to Daisy. He doesn't think I know that he knew Daisy since I was a young child but I do." She smiled fondly at her father. "I think he was worried after Stefan's attack that I would be frightened of her when I found out the truth but she turned out to be so warm and loving and wonderful that it didn't matter to me who and what she was. Daisy took the two of us then to the Dark Dimension to hide us from Stefan and we lived there until I turned when I was 22." Charlotte explained. "Then my dad and I explored the world together for years." She smiled.

"What do you mean by Stefan's attack?" Caroline asked confused. Bonnie then repeated the story that Damon had told her and she was shocked. "I can't believe anyone could do that to children." Caroline gasped.

"You mentioned earlier that you saw the difference in how protective he is of me compared to Noelle." Charlotte said to Caroline. "That's why... In his eyes I'm a fragile little thing." She said.

"Do you regret that he brought you into the supernatural world?" Bonnie asked her softly and Charlotte shook her head.

"No. I love my life and my family and my dad will always be my hero." She said honestly. "It was hard when I was a child and a teenager but he did the very best he could to make sure I never wanted for anything. Then when we went to the Dark Dimension, he made sure I was educated and happy and had friends and a life. He always tries to make everything easier for me. I think sometimes he looks at me and still sees me as Valentina's age." She laughed.

"Is this change going to be tough for him?" Bonnie asked.

"Yeah." Charlotte nodded. "I want to go to the Dark Dimension with Daisy and the kids today to help him but he doesn't want me to be burdened by him." She rolled her eyes. "Like he could ever be a burden to me." She muttered.

"Why don't we both go then?" Caroline asked her. "I can help you with Jonah and Damon." She said.

"You wouldn't mind?" Charlotte asked stunned.

"After hearing about the Dark Dimension, I'm dying to go there. Besides, we may have had our ups and downs but he's still my sire and I really would love to get to know all of you better." Caroline said genuinely.

"Noelle said that you yelled at him earlier and he actually listened to you." Charlotte smiled and Caroline giggled.

"I know just how to annoy him enough to get my way." Caroline smirked and Charlotte and Bonnie laughed.

"Alright then. We'll go to the Dark Dimension. But if we go, we might not be back for a while." She said.

"That's fine." Caroline nodded.

"Then you should go and pack some of your stuff." Charlotte smiled.

"Any idea how much time I have to do that?" Caroline asked and the other two laughed.

"Daisy will be back soon then her and Bonnie will do the ritual and he'll wake up. Daisy will take him to the Dark Dimension and get him comfortable then come back for the kids and us... so... a couple of hours?" Charlotte asked.

"Then it's a good thing I have vampire speed at my disposal." Caroline smirked and they laughed. "I'll go do that now." She said.

"I'll wait for you anyway. I promise." Charlotte smiled.

"Thanks, Charlotte." Caroline grinned then sped upstairs.

"How long do you think you'll be away?" Bonnie asked Charlotte.

"It depends, really. I have a job in Boston so I can't be gone too long but if my Dad needs me, I'll quit. You can come visit any time. I know Caroline is your best friend so you'll miss her." Charlotte said sincerely. "I know you aren't a fan of my Dad but you wouldn't have to spend any time with him." She said softly.

"He's actually been so different today. I didn't even know he was capable of being the way he is with all of you. I've never seen that side to him." Bonnie said honestly.

"He did a lot of awful things here, didn't he?" Charlotte asked sadly.

"When he came to Mystic Falls, I was convinced he was evil incarnate." Bonnie admitted. "Then slowly he started to let his emotions out a little and he was less evil. Then he stopped being evil and actually started helping. But the way he was today... He was completely different. Well, apart from the sarcasm and snarkiness." Bonnie said and Charlotte nodded.

"What did he do to you?" Charlotte asked softly but Bonnie could tell that she didn't really want to know.

"He bit me." Bonnie said and Charlotte's jaw dropped.

"Oh, God." She gasped. "Thank you for coming to help him. I know that must be hard." She said sincerely. Bonnie remembered Damon saying in the car that Charlotte was like the nicest person she would ever meet and she could see that. Bonnie could tell that Charlotte was a very kind and decent person.

"He's saved my life before too. I don't mind helping him. If it was six months ago I wouldn't be, but things are a bit different now." Bonnie admitted.

"If you ever need anything, Bonnie, you let me know. My Dad is the most important person in my life and the fact you would help him when he doesn't deserve your help means the world to me." Charlotte said and Bonnie smiled.

"That's not necessary. Just make sure Caroline is okay." She said and Charlotte nodded.

"I think Caroline and I will be great friends. She seems to be a really wonderful person." Charlotte smiled.

"She is." Bonnie agreed.

"I'm surprised at how she just trusts me right away, though. She's putting all her trust in us by coming to the Dark Dimension and she only just met us." Charlotte said and Bonnie giggled.

"Because despite everything, she knows Damon won't let anything bad happen to her. The fact Damon asked her personally to let you take care of her would have been enough for her to know that she would be completely safe." Bonnie said.

"She trusts my Dad?" Charlotte asked curiously.

"She probably would say that she doesn't." Bonnie said amused. "But Damon rushed in to save her when she was abducted by werewolves then again when she was taken to be used in Klaus' sacrifice and he jumped in front of Tyler when Tyler tried to attack her. I think she knows that Damon doesn't want her dead." Bonnie smirked. Charlotte was stunned. She knew about the werewolf part but hearing about the other two kind of shocked her. "She turned because Damon gave her blood to heal her after she was in a car accident."

"He cares for her." Charlotte said.

"He won't admit that." Bonnie said with a smile.

"He'll admit it to Noelle. When their relationship is back to what it was, he'll tell her everything." Charlotte giggled.

"Not you?" Bonnie asked surprised.

"Noelle and my dad were like joined at the hip. They were the very best of friends. I will always be very much his daughter, not his friend. I think my Dad sees a lot of himself in Noelle so he knows that he doesn't have to worry about her too much. He won't tell me his every thought because he thinks it would be a burden to me. It kind of drives me nuts considering I'm 141 years old and not an infant." She laughed.

"I asked him to describe you all to me and he said you are his little girl." Bonnie smiled widely and Charlotte laughed.

"Only my dad could see a 141 year old vampire as his little girl." Charlotte said amused. "What did he say about the others?" She asked with a smile.

"Daniel is his first son and a good friend. Noelle is the apple of his eye. Valentina fascinates him. And Jonah is a little monkey." Bonnie said and Charlotte giggled.

"Valentina is unbelievably intelligent and already quite independent. She doesn't think or behave like an almost nine year old. She's more like a teenager. I suppose it's because she doesn't have any siblings close to her age so she is always around adults. She doesn't mix well with others of her age either. She does have moments where she is very young like she still doesn't want Dad to be angry at her." Charlotte smiled.

"Why does Damon call Daniel a Mama's boy?" Bonnie asked curiously and Charlotte laughed.

"Because he calls her like every day and tells her absolutely everything. He's always so happy to see her and out of the five of us, Daniel is totally her favourite." Charlotte laughed.

"Damon said that a parent shouldn't have favourites." Bonnie giggled.

"I suppose they shouldn't but sometimes people just have more in common with each other than others, so it's natural that it would happen." Charlotte shrugged. "My Dad's different though. He's a weirdo and doesn't get along with anyone so I guess that's why he gets on just as well with all of us." Charlotte giggled as did Bonnie.


	7. Daisy

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

* * *

><p>His Secrets<p>

Chapter 7

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><p>Charlotte sat talking to Bonnie for a good hour before Daisy reappeared. Daisy's eyes widened then her irises turned red in fury at the scent she caught in the cell.<p>

"The kids were in here!" Daisy yelled loudly at Charlotte who sighed. Bonnie looked shocked at Daisy's sudden change in mood.

"Yeah, Jonah figured out Dad was dead and he was crying to see him so Daniel and Noelle brought them down. They're both okay, don't worry." Charlotte said but Daisy darted up the stairs. The basement door flew open and Daniel and Noelle noticed Daisy's furious face.

"Crap." Daniel muttered from where he sat with Jonah on the floor.

"They're fine, Mom." Noelle said calmly. She and Valentina were snuggled up under a blanket watching Harry Potter.

"I am livid with the two of you and the fact that your dad is going to wake up in that cell... he'll smell that they were there! He's going to be beyond furious with the two of you." Daisy snapped.

"Mama, don't be mad at them. We wanted to go see him." Valentina said in a small voice.

"Regardless. Damon didn't want anyone to see him like that, let alone you and Jonah." Daisy said back to her. "This was incredibly stupid Daniel and Noelle... I'll deal with the two of you later." She warned then hurried back down to the cell while Daniel and Noelle glanced at each other wide eyed. They weren't often at the brunt of Daisy's fury as it took a lot to piss her off and they were worried about it... Though both of them knew that Damon would be far angrier than Daisy. Daisy went back into the cell and her eyes were back to their frosty green.

"What happens now?" Bonnie asked her ancestor.

"We'll need to drop a couple of drops of Tyler's blood on the wound so that it closes. It won't take away the werewolf poison but he'll be immune to it after he transitions because he'll be part werewolf. But the bite won't actually close and heal until we magically close it." Daisy said. "After we've done that, we need to do the combination demon ritual so that his body accepts that he is now four creatures in one form." She explained.

"How does someone transition like this?" Bonnie asked curiously.

"Well, because he will be mainly vampire still, he'll have to drink blood but it will need to be vampire. Werewolves and skin walkers are usually born so he doesn't have to transition for that part but he will also have to transition as an incubus by feeding from a vampire." Daisy said.

"How does an incubus feed?" Bonnie asked.

"Through the mouth. They suck the life force out of someone. Normally it would be through a kiss but it doesn't have to be." Daisy shrugged.

"What's the difference between an incubus and a succubus?" Bonnie asked curiously.

"A succubus is female and an incubus is male but both are the same creature just different sexes." Charlotte said and Bonnie nodded.

"What did you mean that he will be mainly vampire? I figured he would be like a quarter each." Bonnie said and Daisy shook her head.

"It's pointless to be a quarter each because it keeps you weak because you don't have full strength in any nature. When turning into a combination demon you choose a main nature and a second nature. The other two are still available to you but you don't have the strengths or weaknesses of them." She said.

"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked.

"Like Damon, for example, will be a vampire first and foremost and a skin walker second. It means he will be full vampire and full skin walker and have access to the full abilities of both. His third is werewolf and his fourth is incubus. He will still have the ability to turn into a wolf but he won't be bound by the moon and he will still need to feed his incubus part but only tiny amounts." Daisy said.

"What are you?" Bonnie asked curiously.

"I am succubus first and foremost, vampire second, skin walker third and werewolf last." Daisy said. "But I was a witch as a human so that is also a part of me and it has enhanced my other abilities and I haven't turned into my werewolf form in over 200 years because it disgusts me." She said.

"Is Damon going to be out of control like a new vampire?" Bonnie asked.

"He won't be tempted by blood like a new vampire but he will be given incredible power and his body will have a mind of its own for about a week so he will be unstable for a while." Daisy said.

"Will he have physical strength above that of an Original?" Bonnie asked and Daisy nodded.

"Significantly above that." She said.

"Then how will you keep him under control?" Bonnie asked worriedly.

"He will live in the palace dungeon until he's in control." Daisy said and Charlotte's jaw dropped.

"But that's part of the hell dimension!" Charlotte exclaimed.

"It's not like he's going to be tortured sweetie. I have a room there being made ready for him. It'll be like a bedroom and he just won't be able to get out of it." Daisy said.

"Caroline and I are coming to help him." Charlotte said and Daisy nodded.

"You know he isn't going to like that." Daisy said.

"I don't care. He can bitch and moan as much as he wants about it. I'm still going and he asked me to take care of Caroline so she's coming with me." Charlotte said.

"Caroline seems like a lovely girl. I'm looking forward to getting to know her." Daisy smiled. "Think she'd agree to stand up for Damon at the ascension?" Daisy asked Charlotte.

"You would have to ask her that. Dad doesn't want her to go to the ascension." Charlotte said and Daisy looked surprised.

"What do you mean 'stand up for'?" Bonnie asked.

"Any new ruler in the Dark Dimension needs two people to stand up for them in front of the people there. They can't be family members though and since Damon just _loves_ people..." She rolled her eyes. "There aren't a lot of options."

"You mentioned someone earlier that he should call... who was that?" Charlotte asked Bonnie.

"His friend Ric." Bonnie replied and both women looked surprised.

"He has a friend?" Daisy asked in disbelief and Bonnie giggled.

"Yeah, he does." Bonnie nodded.

"That's perfect then. Is the friend human?" Daisy asked and Bonnie nodded. "Could he be trusted to know about the Dark Dimension and visit there?"

"Ric is a very decent guy and I know that Damon trusts him." Bonnie said.

"That's good enough for me then." Daisy nodded. "Are you able to contact him and ask him to come here today so I can speak to him?" She asked.

"Sure, I'll go call him." Bonnie said.

"We should get that done before we wake Damon up. Where's Caroline? I need to ask her too." Daisy said.

"She's packing her stuff for the Dark Dimension. Want me to call her to hurry up too?" Bonnie asked.

"If you could just call her and say I'd like to speak to her soon that would be great." Daisy said.

* * *

><p>"Bonnie?" Ric called as he walked into the boarding house.<p>

"Hey, thanks for coming." Bonnie smiled at him as she entered the hall. "Do you have a little while to talk?" She asked.

"Sure." Ric nodded then followed Bonnie through to the living room where he saw two kids and two vampires. He knew how to spot them now.

"Alaric, this is Noelle, Daniel, Valentina and Jonah." Bonnie pointed to them. "This is Alaric Saltzman, Damon's friend." She said and both Noelle and Daniel looked surprised.

"He has a friend?" Noelle asked with a smirk and Ric chuckled.

"Crazy, huh?" Ric asked them and they laughed.

"Will you come down to the cell with me?" Bonnie asked and Alaric cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Bonnie, where's Damon?" Ric asked her and she sighed.

"He's in the cell." Bonnie replied. Ric narrowed his eyes at Bonnie as he could tell there was something she wasn't telling him.

"Why's he in the cell?" Ric asked confused.

"Because Daddy's dead." Jonah said sadly and Ric stared at Bonnie looking for an explanation of the whole sentence.

"If you come down to the cell, you'll get an explanation." Bonnie said.

"You're totally dancing around it, witch." Noelle rolled her eyes. "Alaric, was it?" She asked.

"Call me Ric." He nodded.

"Long story short, Damon Salvatore is our dad. He's in the cell with a stake through his heart because he's turning into something else. My mom is down in the cell with him because she's the one turning him and she'd like to talk to you because you're my dad's friend." Noelle said and Ric was gobsmacked at the whole sentence.

"Okay, I'm going." He said then hurried down to the basement and noticed Tyler lying unconscious on the floor but went into the cell anyway. He gasped at the sight of Damon greyed and covered his mouth with his hand. "Oh my God." He whispered and he blinked so he wouldn't get upset.

"Are you Ric?" Daisy asked him.

"Yeah." He nodded as he finally noticed two beautiful women. One with long fiery shoulder length red hair and frosty green eyes and the other with blonde hair just past her ears with Damon's ice blue eyes.

"Hi, I'm Daisy." She held out her hand and he shook it then Charlotte went over to him.

"I'm Charlotte, Damon's daughter." She smiled at him softly and he shook her hand too.

"The dark haired girl from upstairs said that he was turning into something else... can you please explain?" Ric asked and the worry was written all over his face and it made both women smile at him kindly as he obviously cared about Damon. Daisy then explained the whole story of who she was, Damon's bite, the Dark Dimension, Damon's ascension and that Bonnie was related to her. "Wow, this is a lot." Ric said surprised. "So he has to go live in this other dimension now?" Ric asked sadly.

"Well, I understand that he trusts you and since it's harder to gain Damon's trust than mine, I would like to give you an open invitation to the Dark Dimension. You can come visit him whenever you like. You would be completely safe, don't worry. Both Caroline and Bonnie will be visiting also. My only stipulation is that the Dark Dimension stays a secret, especially from the doppelganger. But that's not why I asked for you to meet me... When Damon ascends, he needs two people to stand at his side as kind of... uh... how would I explain it? Like two people to vouch for him, so to speak. I was wondering if you would do that for him? I am going to ask Caroline to be the other." Daisy said.

"I'll do it." Ric nodded and both women smiled at him. "But I'm human... won't that be a problem?" He asked curiously.

"No. Humans live in the Dark Dimension too. I think because it's stupidly called 'The Dark Dimension' it's easy to get the wrong idea about it." She laughed. "You know, I am very looking forward to getting to know you, Ric. Damon isn't one to make friends easily so you must be very special." She smiled and he chuckled.

"I think he only likes me because I punched him once." Ric said and both of them looked surprised but laughed anyway.

"He probably deserved it." Daisy smirked and Ric chuckled.

"What did he do?" Charlotte asked him.

"He turned my wife into a vampire." Ric shrugged. They were way past that now so it didn't bother him anymore.

"Do you mean Isobel?" Daisy asked curiously and Ric's jaw dropped.

"Yes. Did you meet her?" Ric asked surprised.

"I did." Daisy nodded. "She was very nice until she shut out her emotions." She said and Ric gave her an understanding look. He remembered how sweet Isobel was as a human as well as how cold and heartless she was as a vampire. "Damon brought her to the Dark Dimension to visit once."

"Why didn't he ever tell me he had children or anything about the Dark Dimension?" Ric asked.

"I asked him not to mention it to anyone. A couple of weeks ago he asked me if he could bring someone to visit sometime so I believe that he was going to tell you at some point as he said it was a male." Daisy said and Ric looked surprised. "But since it's Damon, he didn't actually go into any details." She laughed as did Ric and Charlotte.

"What does this thing you want me to do involve?" Ric asked curiously.

"Well, in my world being one of a ruler's two is a great honour. It is two people that he trusts that trust him in return. Two people that publicly show their support of said ruler. In return, you would both be given full protection for the rest of your lives, positions as advisors if you wanted them but that's not required if you didn't want to do that and your choice of immortality if you wanted that but there would be no pressure regarding that either." Daisy said honestly. "It is kind of like being someone's best man at a wedding. A man there to help the groom, offer support and be a symbol to the crowd that the groom has the man's trust. Do you understand what I mean?" Daisy asked.

"I do." Ric nodded. "I can see why it would be a great honour." Ric agreed.

"If you decide that you definitely want to do this for Damon, I will require you to swear an unbreakable oath to fulfil the task of being one of his two on the day of his ascension." She said.

"Would I need to move to the Dark Dimension to do this?" Ric asked her.

"Only for the ascension month. You would never have to be there any other time if you didn't want to be." She said.

"I'll do it gladly." Ric nodded. Damon was his best friend and he knew Damon... this was going to be hard on him so he'd happily be there for him to show his support.

"Are you sure? I wasn't kidding about it being an unbreakable oath." She said.

"I'm sure." Ric said and both Charlotte and Daisy smiled.

"Give me your hand." She said and he reached out his hand to her and she took it in hers. "Don't be alarmed." She said and he was confused until he saw her red eyes shining through. He could feel the power radiating from her and he was fascinated. "Do you swear to me, the Queen, to uphold your oath to be one of the future Prince's two on the day of his ascension to the throne of the Dark Dimension?" She asked him as she looked into his eyes.

"I swear." He nodded.

"This oath can only be broken by its fulfilment or by your death, whichever comes first. Do you accept that?" She asked.

"I accept." He agreed and she smiled.

"As Queen of the Dark Dimension, I bestow upon you the full protection of the Dark Dimension and an eternal open invitation." She said then let go of his hand.

"I have to say, this is quite exciting." Ric smiled and the girls giggled.

"I'm guessing you didn't think this is how your day would go when you woke up this morning." Charlotte giggled and Ric laughed.

"No, not even in my wildest dreams. How much longer will Damon be dead?" Ric asked hesitantly.

"Bonnie and I will start the ritual after I've spoken to Caroline. I want to see if she is interested in being the other one of his two. If she isn't, I have no idea who I would choose for him." She muttered. "Since he's Mr Popular and all." She said and they laughed.

"What did you mean earlier by my choice of immortality?" Ric asked curiously.

"I have the power to turn you into a vampire, an immortal incubus or an immortal skin walker. Everyone has their own preference. I refuse to make anyone a werewolf though that is also possible." She said.

"So if I wanted that, you would do that?" Ric asked surprised and she nodded.

"You will be one of Damon's two. You are now very important to the Dark Dimension so yes of course it would be my pleasure to do that for you." She smiled.

"I'll think about it and get back to you." Ric nodded. "What exactly is a skin walker in reality? I've read about them before but books get it wrong a lot." He said.

"A skin walker is able to change forms, both to people and animals. Immortal skin walkers are also gifted with teleportation among other abilities. They are not as physically strong or fast as a vampire but are still much more so than a human would be. Supernatural healing and senses are still a part of them as well as compulsion. They are however not dead so feeding on blood or life force is not required." Daisy said and he nodded.

"I think I would probably be most interested in that one." Ric said and she smiled.

"When you come to the Dark Dimension, I will introduce you to some skin walkers and they will give you more information and show you their abilities. I am only a small part skin walker so I am not the best person to tell you about it." Daisy said.

"Thank you." Ric smiled softly. "That's very kind of you." He said then Caroline darted into the cell.

"Hey." She smiled at them.

"Perfect timing, sweetie." Daisy smiled at her.

"Bonnie said you wanted to talk to me?" Caroline asked Daisy and she nodded.

"It was really nice to meet both of you. I'll give you some privacy." Ric said then patted Caroline's arm and left the cell then went up the stairs.

"I actually have two things to talk to you about." Daisy said. "I saw Damon's more recent memories and I am actually in two minds whether or not to ask you as I suppose I could go to the Dark Dimension and just kidnap another vampire." She said thoughtfully.

"You can ask." Caroline nodded.

"Damon needs to transition after he wakes up." Daisy said.

"Will he need vampire blood?" Caroline asked curiously.

"Yes, but not just blood. If it was just blood I'm sure Charlotte would do it for him." She said.

"Then what does he need?" She asked.

"Life force." Daisy said and Charlotte's eyes widened knowing Damon would _not_ be happy about Daisy asking Caroline for that.

"Wouldn't that kill me?" Caroline asked confused.

"No, not at all. He would only need a tiny bit to transition." Daisy said.

"What are you not saying?" Caroline asked her and Daisy smiled.

"You're sharp." She said and Caroline giggled.

"Please tell Damon that. I think he thinks there's just air between my ears." Caroline said with a smile.

"I will." Daisy nodded. "Well, as he needs to transition his incubus side, he will need to feed on life force from a vampire. That would be done through a kiss." She said and Caroline's eyes widened.

"You want me to kiss Damon?" She asked shocked.

"Well, that's why I'm not asking the kids. That would be weird." Daisy said. "He can blood feed from Charlotte if she doesn't mind."

"Of course." Charlotte nodded. "There's no pressure, Caroline. Daisy can go get another vampire if you'd rather not." Charlotte said reassuringly.

"Uh... well... I guess we've kissed before so... okay." Caroline said a little awkwardly.

"Thank you so much." Daisy said sincerely.

"What was the other thing you wanted to ask me?" Caroline asked her. Daisy then explained what she explained to Alaric about being one of his two at the ascension. "Damon said that he specifically doesn't want me at the ascension." She said to Daisy who looked a bit surprised.

"The thing is he needs his two to ascend. As the current Queen, it is ultimately my decision who his two are as I should trust them also. Bonnie is my family and she let me read her earlier so I trust her completely and she trusts you completely which is good enough for me. The fact Damon is fond of you and trusts you seals that for me. That is why I want you specifically. Damon's friend Ric is the other one and he's already sworn his oath." Daisy explained.

"Daisy, I don't mean to sound ungrateful in any way... but I really wouldn't want to go over Damon's head like that. We've been getting along better recently and I really don't want to go back to the days where he's just pissed off at me all the time." Caroline said apologetically. Daisy and Charlotte shared a kind of look of disbelief as they glanced at each other as clearly she had no idea that Damon actually really cared about her whereas it was obvious to them since they knew him so well.

"Just a moment." Daisy said then went over to Damon and took his hand. She closed her eyes and Caroline saw them flicker rapidly for a few seconds and Daisy pulled back and looked a little stunned.

"What was that?" Caroline asked confused.

"I was reading all of his memories, thoughts and feelings towards you. I know for a fact that he would be happy for you to be one of his two because he already considered you for that earlier. The only reason he didn't tell me that is because he doesn't want you to see him torture demons." Daisy said. "The only comfort in it, I suppose, is that these demons have done the most unimaginable things. Like the worst things you could imagine in your head times 100. Each day their crimes will be read out to the arena and practically every spectator will want to go down and torture them too since they are so bad." Daisy said and Caroline nodded. "The ones that will be selected for Damon will be those who have harmed children as that will make it easier for him to do it." She said.

"I get that. If I ever saw someone hurting a kid I think I'd have to kill them." Caroline agreed and Daisy smiled at her. "Stefan should be in the hell dimension." Caroline said bluntly and Daisy blinked in surprise.

"I have to say I agree with you there." Daisy nodded.

"It actually horrifies me that I ever considered him a friend. I really hope he rots in hell forever." Caroline said honestly.

"Bonnie told me that she told you the story." Daisy said softly.

"She did and it's a good thing that I'm going with Charlotte to the Dark Dimension today or I'd be staking him in his sleep tonight." Caroline said and Daisy smiled widely at her.

"Thank you for saying that." Daisy said.

"It's the truth. Kids are innocent and precious. Anyone that could hurt a child deserves to be tortured in a public arena." Caroline said.

"Does that mean you'll do it?" Daisy asked her surprised.

"Be one of Damon's two?" Caroline asked her and she nodded. "I'll do it. But advance warning, if Damon gives me shit for it I'll sock him one." She said and both girls laughed.

"I'll help." Daisy winked at her and Caroline giggled. She was already very fond of the young blonde vampire. "Give me your hand." Daisy said and Caroline gave over her hand without hesitation and Daisy held it with her own. Caroline watched in fascination as Daisy's eyes turned to red. "Do you swear to me, the Queen, to uphold your oath to be one of the future Prince's two on the day of his ascension to the throne of the Dark Dimension?" She asked Caroline as she looked into her eyes.

"I do." She said.

"This oath can only be broken by its fulfilment or by your death, whichever comes first. Do you accept that?" She asked.

"I accept that." Caroline nodded and Daisy smiled.

"As Queen of the Dark Dimension, I bestow upon you the full protection of the Dark Dimension and an eternal open invitation." She said then let go of Caroline's hand. "I have a feeling that you'll be there quite a lot so I'm going to get you a dimensional transportation necklace." Daisy said.

"What's that?" Caroline asked curiously.

"This." Charlotte showed Caroline a leather cord necklace around her neck with a bright red stone hanging from it. "It allows me to go to the Dark Dimension whenever I want." She said.

"Normally, I would have to pick you up and take you there but I'll get you a necklace so you can come and go as you please." Daisy smiled.

"Thank you." Caroline grinned. "You have no idea how much I'm looking forward to visiting. I've heard such wonderful things about the Dark Dimension from Charlotte and Noelle and I think I'll love it there." She smiled.

"Well, if you do end up loving it there, you can choose a bedroom in the palace to make your own." Daisy said genuinely and Caroline looked surprised.

"Thank you." Caroline said genuinely. "I'm so happy to have met all of you. I've been feeling really desolate for the past few months since I became a vampire because I thought that I would have a terrible life and meeting you all today has just..." Caroline said softly. "Just... thank you both for being so kind to me. It means a lot." She said and both Daisy and Charlotte kind of felt a little broken hearted for her.

"You are just so sweet, Caroline." Charlotte said with a small smile. "I'm so pleased to have met you too. I think we'll be great friends." She said and Caroline nodded.

"I'd like that." She said. Daisy felt that Caroline deserved the truth about Damon considering she was so nice and Daisy had snooped a little when she held Caroline's hand and she saw what a good person she is.

"You know, you really shouldn't worry about Damon being pissed off with you. He cares about you and I know he doesn't show that, but he does. It takes a very long time for Damon to show someone the real him because he's been so badly hurt and fucked over by so many people since he was a child." Caroline looked a little shocked at that. "He comes across as cold and unfeeling but he is quite the opposite. He is in fact very sensitive and that's why he tries his best to keep people as far away from his heart as possible. When he finds out that you agreed to be one of his two he will be very touched by that. Knowing him, he won't act that way, but he will be, I promise you." Daisy said and Caroline smiled.

"And how do I get to know him then? I've seen little glimpses here and there but he's usually extra monstrous after that to try to cover it up." She said.

"You will have a tougher time than others would." Daisy said honestly and Caroline frowned.

"Why?" She asked confused.

"Because he feels a great deal of guilt and shame over how he treated you. Keeping you at arm's length means he doesn't have to constantly see your goodness which only reminds him of how monstrous he can be." Daisy said and Caroline looked truly stunned.

"Can't he just let it go? I have." Caroline said softly and both women looked surprised.

"I'll have a little chat with him." Daisy nodded. "Do you think you will want to be one of his advisors?" She asked curiously.

"What would that really mean?" Caroline asked.

"You would no doubt spend more time out in public than he will, as I know he'll probably spend most of his time with Jonah, so as an advisor you would tell him what you hear when you're out, suggest changes that could be beneficial to the Dark Dimension, give him a different perspective and opinion on things. It's not compulsory or anything, it's just automatically offered to the Prince's two. Both my two are still my advisors and have been for over 800 years. They are my closest friends. The thing is, my people won't say what they really think to me directly but most people don't know who my advisors are since my ascension was so long ago. So when they are out they will hear people talk about things that bother them or tell them things that should be changed then they relay the information to me. You could do that for Damon if you wanted to." Daisy said and Caroline smiled.

"I am definitely interested but let's just see how Damon and I get along in the next while." Caroline said and both of them laughed.

"That's fine." Daisy smiled.

"Can I ask something? It's probably a stupid question." Caroline said and Daisy smiled.

"Ask anything you like." She nodded.

"Why would Damon become a prince and not the king?" She asked and Daisy smiled.

"Because it's not a blood ascension. If for example I chose one of my sons to take over for me in the future he would be king because he comes from the royal bloodline. Damon is ascending because he's married to the Queen. Do you see what I mean?" Daisy asked and Caroline smiled and nodded.

"That makes sense." Caroline agreed.


	8. Satyana and Satyam

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

* * *

><p>His Secrets<p>

Chapter 8

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><p>After Caroline left the cell, Bonnie went back down and she and Daisy performed the bite healing spell with a little bit of Tyler's blood. Once the bite was healed, Daisy set up the spell to bind all the four bloods together to make him a combination demon. It was a long spell and it took a lot out of Bonnie but Daisy restored her energy so she wouldn't feel the magical exhaustion. Bonnie went upstairs for some food as she was really quite tired after that.<p>

"What happens now?" Charlotte asked Daisy.

"Now..." Daisy grinned. "We pull out the stake." She said then yanked it out. Charlotte watched as Damon's skin slowly changed back to pale instead of grey and about a minute later his eyes snapped open.

"Hi, Dad." Charlotte smiled at him fondly and he blinked.

"I feel hella weird." Damon croaked a little and Daisy laughed.

"You're in transition." She smiled at him. "Welcome back." She said.

"How long was I dead?" Damon asked curiously.

"About four hours." Daisy said and Damon looked surprised.

"That's a while." Damon nodded then his face hardened. "Daisy?"

"Hmm?" She asked him curiously.

"Please tell me that I do not smell Jonah in this cell." Damon said fiercely and Daisy sighed.

"You do." Daisy said Damon closed his eyes to suppress his fury.

"Someone explain. Now." Damon barked.

"Jonah figured out that turning meant you had to die and he got really upset and was crying for you and wanted to see you so he came down here and I explained that you would come back. I told him that you wouldn't like it for him to stay here with you, which of course had him on high alert because he doesn't want to do anything to upset you, so he agreed to go back upstairs to make you something out of his legos." Charlotte said to him.

"I take it the idiot twins brought him and Valley down?" Damon asked Charlotte annoyed and she sighed.

"Dad, today has been a stressful day for everyone, you can get pissed at them later." Charlotte warned.

"Fine." He muttered.

"You need to go see Jonah." Daisy said to Damon.

"I can't." Damon said to her in disbelief.

"You can while you're still in transition. None of your new natures will come into play until after you transition. He's perfectly safe with you right now." Daisy said.

"You sure?" Damon asked her sceptically.

"Do you think I would let my baby near you if there was even a tiny chance you could hurt him in any way?" Daisy asked him and he chuckled.

"I'm actually really happy I can see the little monkey." Damon grinned.

"I have some excellent news for you too." Daisy smiled.

"I can already tell I'm not going to like the next thing that comes out of your royal mouth." Damon smirked and she laughed.

"I have your two for the ascension." She grinned and he deadpanned.

"Who?" Damon asked her stonily.

"Caroline and Ric." She said and Damon's eyes bugged.

"Are you out of your mind?" Damon asked her in disbelief.

"They've both sworn their oaths. It's done Damon. They will be your two." She said and his jaw dropped.

"They... did that?" Damon asked her shocked and Charlotte and Daisy could see how much it meant to him as it proved they trusted him.

"Yes." Daisy smiled. "Ric is even considering becoming an immortal skin walker." She said and Damon looked surprised. "Caroline was a little hesitant as she was worried you would be angry with her for accepting." Daisy shot him an annoyed look for that.

"Dad, she's so nice and she cares about you. Please don't be mean to her anymore." Charlotte said to him softly and he rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I'll be nicer to Barbie." He muttered. "I'm going to see Jonah." He said as he stood up.

"We'll come up too." Charlotte smiled. "This cell is seriously depressing." She said and Damon chuckled.

"I'll be sure to leave a note for Stefan to paint some rainbows on the walls." He winked at her and she giggled. Damon crept up the stairs and both Daisy and Charlotte could tell that he wanted to surprise Jonah. Damon silently poked his head out the door of the basement and noticed Jonah with his back to him on the carpet building with his legos. Valentina was napping on the couch next to Noelle and Caroline who were still awake. Ric was sitting next to Daniel and Bonnie on the couches and they all smiled and looked like they were about to say something but Damon held up his finger to his lips indicating that they weren't to say anything and he pointed at Jonah and they grinned and nodded. Damon walked out of the basement and grinned at his little son. "Oh, Jonah?" Damon said and Jonah's head snapped to him and everyone watched the widest smile ever spread across his face.

"Daddy!" Jonah squealed then darted over to him and Damon picked him up and hugged him tightly with a huge grin on his face and everyone laughed a little at Jonah's cuteness. Jonah had his arms locked around Damon's neck and Damon chuckled.

"When did you turn into a vampire? I think that was vampire speed, Jojo." Damon teased and the little boy grinned at Damon when he pulled his arms back. Jonah touched Damon's cheek with his hand.

"Are you okay now, Daddy?" Jonah asked with a smile.

"Better." Damon smirked. "Charlie said you were going to make me something out of your legos." Damon told him and Jonah nodded with a huge grin.

"I was going to make you a chair but I ran out of legos so I made you a box." Jonah explained.

"What kind of box?" Damon asked him curiously.

"A box you can keep special things in." Jonah said and Damon smiled.

"Let's see it." Damon said then walked over to the legos and put Jonah down on the floor. Jonah picked up the small lego box and gave it to Damon. "This is pretty cool, Jonah." Damon smirked at him and Jonah beamed at him. Damon was always a sap when it came to things his kids made him or pictures they drew so he couldn't help melting a bit at the little box in his hand. Damon kneeled down in front of him. "You know we should get you more legos and build a chair together, what do you think?" Damon asked him with a smile.

"That will be so much fun, Daddy." Jonah grinned at him and everyone watched the two of them fondly. Ric was a little stunned at Damon's behaviour but he thought it was nice to see this side of Damon. "But we can't build a throne chair." Jonah said to him and Damon cocked an eyebrow at him as Caroline, Bonnie and Daniel laughed a little.

"Why not?" Damon smirked.

"Because you don't need more ego." Jonah said innocently and Damon laughed loudly as did everyone else.

"I see." Damon smirked at him knowing he'd heard that from someone. "I don't think we need to get a parrot, Jonah." Damon teased and everyone laughed knowing he meant Jonah.

"Caroline said we should get a puppy but I said that I would see if you would like a puppy too." Jonah said and Damon chuckled.

"I guess we could get like a Rottweiler or something." Damon smirked.

"What's that, Daddy?" Jonah asked curiously.

"It's a type of puppy." Damon said.

"Are they cute?" Jonah asked.

"They are cuter than I'll be when I have a chat with Noelle and Daniel later." Damon said amused and Noelle and Daniel's eyes widened and they gulped.

"You're not making any sense again, Daddy." Jonah said and they laughed.

"They're not really that cute but they're cool." Damon said with a smirk.

"Can't we get something cute and fluffy?" Jonah asked and Damon chuckled.

"I'm going to worry about you if you keep this up, you know." Damon teased. "First you want a Barbie doll and now a cute and fluffy puppy?" Damon asked amused and everyone laughed.

"Is that bad?" Jonah asked with wide innocent eyes and Damon felt like the world's biggest ass.

"Course not, son." Damon said kissing his forehead. "If you want a cute and fluffy puppy, that's fine with me." Damon said sincerely and Jonah smiled at him.

"Thank you, Daddy." Jonah said. "Why did your skin change colour?" He asked him and Damon took a deep breath so he wouldn't explode. He did glare at the twins though and they looked down at their laps knowing he was going to lose the plot with them later. Damon stood up and nodded his head towards the seating area and Jonah followed him then sat on his lap.

"That's what happens to vampires when they die." Damon said to him softly.

"So does that mean you're the alive kind of dead again now?" Jonah asked him and he chuckled.

"Yes." Damon smirked at him.

"Sorry, Dad." Daniel said sincerely and Damon looked up at him stonily.

"You and your stupid sister should probably avoid me for a while." Damon said in a monotone voice that showed his clear anger and both of their jaws dropped. He hadn't been that angry with them for decades.

"Dad." Charlotte said softly as she sat next to him. "Calm down." She said and he shook his head.

"This is me being calm." Damon said to her.

"Anyway, we should talk about a plan." Daisy said to Damon.

"I thought the plan was that I go live in the dungeon in the hell dimension until I'm in control?" Damon cocked an eyebrow at her.

"What?" Caroline asked in disbelief.

"It's a private part of the hell dimension. It's not like the... uh... other part." She said not wanting to get into it with the kids there.

"How long will that be for?" Charlotte asked curiously.

"A week or so." Daisy shrugged. "I think I'll start taking trips now." Daisy said. "Damon, you should probably say something to your brother." She said and Damon nodded.

"I will." He agreed.

"Alright." She said. "Noelle, are you coming home today?" Daisy asked.

"Yeah." She said.

"Come on, let's go." Daisy held out her hand and Noelle stood up and took it and the two of them disappeared.

"How did they do that?" Ric asked curiously but the surprise was evident on his face.

"Teleporting." Charlotte smiled at him.

"That's cool." Ric grinned back at her. Damon cocked an eyebrow at them but didn't comment... because it was kind of weird... His daughter was totally checking out Alaric Saltzman... Ric was totally checking out his little girl... Damon rolled his eyes at that. So not the time to be thinking about that...

"Immortal skin walkers can do that." Daniel said to him and Ric nodded.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Jonah?" Damon asked with a smile and everyone else laughed a little.

"Can you teleport now?" Jonah asked and Damon chuckled.

"Not yet, but I will after I finish turning." Damon said.

"How do you finish turning?" Jonah asked and Damon shrugged.

"I really don't know. I wasn't listening when your mother rambled on about it." Damon smirked and everyone laughed. Just then Valentina started to stir then sat up.

"Dad?" She grinned then hurried over to him.

"How you doing, Valley?" Damon asked her softly as she sat next to him and he put his arm around her and pulled her into him.

"I'm tired. When did you come back to life?" She asked him curiously and he sighed.

"Like 10 minutes ago." Damon said.

"Why did nobody wake me?" She asked annoyed and he chuckled.

"You're kidding, right? You sleep like a hibernating bear." Damon smirked at her and she rolled her eyes while everyone else laughed.

"Are you coming home now?" She asked him wide eyed.

"Yeah." Damon nodded to her and she grinned at him. Just then Daisy reappeared.

"Coming, Jonah?" She asked.

"Take the Mama's boy first." Damon said to her annoyed and she rolled her eyes then held out her hand to Daniel who took it and they disappeared.

"Dad, they didn't do it to be malicious." Charlotte said to him.

"I couldn't care less why they did it, Charlotte." Damon said to her seriously.

"Are you mad about Jonah and I coming to see you when you were dead?" Valentina asked him innocently and he nodded.

"You should have known better, Valentina." Damon said to her seriously and she sighed.

"It's not fair that just because the other three are vampires they get to know everything and I don't because I'm human." She said and Damon rolled his eyes.

"First, none of you should have been in there. Second, it's not because you're human, it's because you're eight years old." Damon said to her and she sighed.

"It's not like I'm going to be scarred for life, Dad. I knew you were coming back." She said and he nodded.

"And what about Jonah? I asked you to look out for him. Do you think it's good for an almost four year old to see his Dad dead?" Damon asked her seriously and her eyes widened a little at the realisation of what he was saying.

"I'm sorry, Daddy. I didn't really think about that." She said and he nodded.

"I'm not angry at you, Valley. I'm angry at tweedledum and tweedledee." Damon said. "You and Jonah go with your mother next. I'll see you before I transition." Damon said to her and she hugged him.

"Okay, Daddy." She said.

"I know you said that you didn't want us there but Caroline and I are heading over today and we're going to hang out with Jonah while you're in the dungeon." Charlotte said to Damon and he nodded.

"Really?" Jonah asked Charlotte with a huge grin and she smiled back warmly at him.

"Yes, sweetie. I'm going to personally fire your nanny." Charlotte said and Damon chuckled.

"Daisy will be so pissed." Damon smirked. "It'll be funny." He said and they laughed.

"So you're not mad at that?" Charlotte asked Damon surprised and he shook his head.

"That'll be good for Jonah." Damon said to her. "I would have gotten rid of her anyway." Damon said.

"No, I know you're not mad about the nanny. I meant you're not mad about Caroline and I going over today?" She said and he shrugged.

"Why would I be? Jonah will love being totally spoiled by the two of you." Damon smirked at his daughter. "Can you head over with the kids? I don't think they should be left with your idiot twin siblings." Damon said to Charlotte and she sighed.

"Sure." She nodded. She figured that Damon wanted to talk to Caroline, Bonnie and Ric without her there. Daisy arrived a few moments later and took both kids and Jonah's toys. Charlotte used her necklace then finally Damon was alone with Bonnie and his two.

"I have to say, Daddy Damon is a sight to behold." Ric smirked and Damon laughed.

"Yeah, yeah." Damon said waving his hand. "Thanks for helping Dais with that spell, Bonnie." Damon said to her sincerely.

"You're welcome. It's kind of mental to think that I'm related to your kids." She said amused as she stood up and put her jacket on.

"Yeah, I know." Damon smirked. "Are you going to visit?" Damon asked curiously and she smiled and nodded.

"Definitely. Daisy is going to come and get me when you're out of the dungeon because apparently there is a royal function I'm required to attend now that I know about all of this." She giggled and Damon smirked.

"Is that the stupid ascension announcement thing?" Damon asked her.

"Yeah." She said and he sighed.

"Can't really get out of that one, can I?" Damon muttered and they laughed.

"No, not really." Bonnie said amused. "Anyway, good luck with your transition. I'll see you in a couple of weeks, Damon." Bonnie smiled then left. Damon was left with Caroline and Ric.

"Daisy told me what both of you did." Damon said to them and they both watched him curious to what his reaction would be. Damon felt like he couldn't be a dick about it after what they'd done for him. "You were both who I wanted, so thank you." He said and both of them looked surprised. "But I meant what I said, Barbie... I don't want you to see that." Damon said to her.

"Damon, Daisy told me that the demons that will be selected for you are ones that hurt kids." She said softly and Damon looked stunned. "I might help you torture the bastards." She said and he smirked at her. He doubted very much that she would ever be able to do anything like that but he was grateful for what she said nonetheless. "And another thing... Bonnie told me what Stefan did to Daisy and I never want to see him again." Caroline said seriously and Damon looked surprised.

"I get it." Damon nodded because he did completely understand her reaction. "You don't have to see him again." Damon said and she smiled.

"Good." She nodded. "Are you a Prince yet?" She asked curiously and he chuckled.

"No, not until the last day of the ceremony and only if the public accept me." Damon said.

"What if they don't?" Ric asked surprised.

"Then Daisy has to kill me." Damon shrugged and their jaws dropped.

"What?" Caroline asked shocked.

"Don't worry so much. It's a well known fact there that Daisy's wanted me to do this for the last century. It's not going to be a shock for them." Damon smirked. "They're all far too fearful of their Queen to turn down her request and this is what she wants so they'll go along with it." Damon shrugged.

"Why is it you have to be in the hell dimension for a week?" Caroline asked him concerned.

"Did Daisy explain what I'm turning into?" Damon asked her and she nodded. "Because I'm four different things now, they're all kind of going to wrestle with each other to get control of me so I will literally have no control over myself. Because I'm skin walker second, I'll keep changing form randomly." Damon shrugged. "Daisy said that every time I think of someone else I'll change form into them." He rolled his eyes.

"Why did you choose incubus to be your fourth?" Caroline asked curiously.

"Honestly?" Damon asked her and she nodded. "Because I like sex to be something I want to do, not something I need to do." Damon shrugged. "If Daisy goes even a few days without it, it's like her world is falling apart. I don't want to be controlled like that." Damon said.

"That makes sense." Ric nodded.

"Are you going to change form a lot once you have control over yourself?" Caroline asked curiously and he shrugged.

"Probably not. The thought of being a copy of someone else kind of freaks me out a bit." Damon said. "I only did it for the extra abilities."

"Like what?" Ric asked curiously.

"Teleportation, empathic abilities and enhanced compulsion, among other things. Skin walkers don't tend to talk about all of their abilities to non-skin walkers so I'll find out later." Damon said.

"What are empathic abilities?" Caroline asked.

"Being able to sense other people's emotions." Damon said.

"Oh, that's cool." She smiled.

"How is the compulsion enhanced?" Ric asked.

"Being able to compel almost anyone, including other demons and being able to do it without actually being near someone and no speaking is required." Damon explained.

"Why didn't any of your kids choose to be that?" Caroline asked curiously.

"They wanted to be cool like their dad." Damon smirked and Caroline and Ric laughed. "No, honestly, I think it's because skin walkers aren't as strong physically." Damon shrugged.

"Your kids are really nice." Ric said and Damon smiled.

"I can't believe they let Jonah go down there." Damon shook his head.

"Yeah, that's not something a kid should see." Ric agreed.

"Damon, he was so upset and he calmed down when he saw you." Caroline said.

"He shouldn't have found out about it in the first place to be upset." Damon replied.

"Will we have to be at this royal function thing that Bonnie has to go to?" Caroline asked changing the subject as Damon looked like he was about to get furious again.

"Yeah." Damon rolled his eyes.

"Daisy's giving me one of those necklaces that Charlotte has." Caroline smiled and Damon looked surprised.

"Really?" He asked a little shocked and Caroline looked confused.

"Is she not supposed to?" Caroline asked.

"Noelle and Daniel don't even have one of those." Damon said. "You must have made an impression on her majesty." Damon smirked and they laughed.

"Speaking of her majesty, why does she introduce herself as Daisy?" Ric asked curiously and Damon chuckled.

"She's not one of those royals that let it go to her head. You're not one of her subjects so there would be no reason for you to call her anything except the name she goes by with her friends and family." Damon shrugged.

"Are we going to have to call you Prince Damon?" Caroline asked amused and Damon deadpanned.

"I'll stake you if you ever call me that." Damon warned and they both laughed. "I'm not kidding." Damon said.

"Is that what the public will call you though?" Ric asked and Damon shook his head.

"No. Daisy will give me a different name at the ceremony." Damon said. "She has four royal names that were given to her by her father on the day of her ascension."

"You don't get to choose it yourself?" Caroline asked surprised and Damon chuckled.

"Oh, I'll be choosing it myself whether Queenie likes it or not." Damon smirked and they laughed. "You're taking all of this well, Ric." Damon said amused and Ric chuckled.

"I don't think everything's sunk in yet." Ric said and Damon chuckled.

"I was planning to take you to the Dark Dimension after the Klaus debacle was over with." Damon said to Ric and he smiled.

"Daisy told me." Ric nodded and Damon looked surprised. "Is there any way to get in touch with you after you leave?" Ric asked and Damon laughed.

"You might think this sounds crazy... but you still get cell reception there." Damon said and both of them laughed. "But because the palace is located where Spain would be, you pay long distance." Damon smirked.

"So it's hot there?" Caroline asked surprised. "I totally didn't pack for that." She muttered and Damon smirked.

"There's plenty of shopping there Barbie, you can get stuff there. Charlotte will be more than happy to take you." Damon shrugged.

"Okay, but what about money? I'm guessing you can't use US Dollars." She said and Damon chuckled.

"No, there's a credit system there. Everything you contribute to the Dark Dimension earns you credits. Don't worry, Daisy will set you up with palace credits so you can go shopping." Damon said.

"But I can't just take credits." Caroline said wide eyed and Damon smirked.

"You are one of my two. That constitutes as a rather large contribution to the Dark Dimension so it will have earned you credits for as long as you live." Damon said and they gaped at him.

"This is a bigger deal than Daisy made it out to be, isn't it?" Caroline asked.

"Well, I was dead so I don't know what she told you." Damon smirked. "Think about it though. There can only ever be two rulers at a time and they both have their two. Considering that Daisy and I are both immortals, there are only four spots for that for as long as the two of us are in the positions. It is a big deal, but you don't have to do anything except stand next to me on the day of the ascension. It will put you both in the Dark Dimension history books though." Damon smirked.

"What about the advisor thing?" Caroline asked.

"That's not a requirement. Daisy should have told you that." Damon said.

"She did." Ric nodded. "Why were you going to take me there?" Ric asked curiously and Damon shrugged.

"There's a lot of history there that I thought you'd be into and lots of women." Damon winked at him and Ric chuckled. "Speaking of that." Damon said then deadpanned. "You were totally checking out my daughter." Damon said to Ric and Caroline's eyes widened and she giggled in disbelief while Ric just looked like he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Uh... I don't know what you're talking about." Ric said and Caroline laughed.

"Oh my god!" Caroline giggled. "Damon will kill you if it was Charlotte." She said and Ric's eyes widened while Damon kept his face devoid of all expression. He found it kind of amusing, if he was honest, but he was going to let Ric sweat a little first. "It was Charlotte!" Caroline gasped and Damon finally chuckled.

"Calm down, Ric. I saw her totally eyeing you back." Damon smirked and both of them looked surprised.

"Uh... I don't really know what to say to that." Ric said and Damon laughed.

"You're a good guy, Ric. I don't mind if you like Charlotte." Damon said and Caroline looked surprised.

"You don't?" Caroline asked in disbelief and Damon shrugged.

"She's an adult." Damon said. "I've met some of her boyfriends before and they were always nice guys who treated her well so I trust her judgement on things like that. Noelle is the one who has terrible judgement when it comes to guys."

"Wouldn't that be weird for you?" Ric asked surprised and Damon chuckled.

"You have to remember that although she's my daughter, she's been an adult for 123 years. I'm used to her being an adult so stuff like that doesn't bother me." Damon said.

"Then why did you tell Valentina she can't ever date?" Caroline asked and Damon laughed.

"Because she's a little girl. The thought of some sleazy guy all over her makes me loopy. After a while I'll get used to that too once she's older." Damon shrugged.

"Is it weird for you seeing your kids dating?" Caroline asked.

"Not really." Damon said. "Not now anyway. Charlotte probably had the hardest time with me." Damon smirked. "Since she's my first child and everything. She doesn't often date but when she does it's always someone that's good to her. Whereas Daniel _always_ has a girlfriend." Damon chuckled. "He has a different girlfriend every couple of months and they are always 'The One' who he's going to marry – this has been going on since his first girlfriend when he was sixteen and he's never gotten married." Damon smirked and they laughed. "So much so, we all joke with him that he should put name tags on them when we meet them so we remember their names." Damon said and they laughed.

"Why do none of them work out?" Caroline asked amused.

"If Noelle doesn't like her, Daniel dumps her." Damon said amused. "And considering Noelle doesn't like most people, she often doesn't like them. That and Daniel moves around a lot. He's probably too intense for most girls as well." Damon said amused.

"What about Noelle?" Caroline asked and Damon chuckled.

"Noelle doesn't usually 'date' if you know what I mean." Damon shuddered a little and they laughed. "She rarely has feelings for anyone but if she does its usually someone completely wrong for her." Damon muttered.

"So she's like you?" Caroline asked amused and Damon chuckled.

"Excluding Daisy, yeah, I suppose." Damon smirked.

"Why didn't you tell anyone that you're married?" Ric asked and Damon shrugged.

"It's not like a real marriage we have, to be honest, so I didn't see the point since Daisy doesn't want anyone to know about her or the Dark Dimension so it wouldn't have made any sense." Damon said.

"How is it not a real marriage?" Ric asked confused.

"We only got married because there is a law in the Dark Dimension that the Queen's children can't be royal heirs if they're born out of wedlock. We have never been exclusively together and we've led very separate lives mostly so..." Damon shrugged. "The most married-like we've been was when Noelle and Daniel were children as they lived in this dimension with me and Daisy lived with us half the time and was in the Dark Dimension the other half." Damon said. "But she's had boyfriends and stuff over the years as well as being in an open marriage so I don't feel actually married." Damon said and they both nodded.

"What if you met someone else and wanted to stop being married?" Ric asked and Damon shrugged.

"I can't." Damon said. "After my ascension, I can't ever end my marriage to Daisy. So if I met someone else, I could only be with them and never marry them, even if Daisy and I aren't together, we still have to be technically married." Damon said.

"Will you be able to have kids with someone who isn't Daisy?" Ric asked curiously and Damon nodded.

"Yeah, I could. But if it was with another supernatural, Daisy would have to make them temporarily human for that." Damon shrugged.

"Would she do that?" Caroline asked surprised.

"If we weren't together, yeah she would. She has a thing about having a lot of children." Damon said.

"Noelle told me that she hasn't even met all of her siblings." Caroline said and Damon chuckled.

"Yeah, there are a lot of them." Damon smirked. "I've met the ones that Daisy is close to. They all have to be at the ascension though." Damon rolled his eyes. "This is going to be such a circus." Damon muttered.

"Are you nervous?" Caroline asked and Damon sighed.

"A bit, yeah. I just want to get it over and done with." Damon said. "I want a few weeks to get used to the change but that's it. If I had to wait years, it would be way worse." Damon rolled his eyes. "On the last day of the ascension, people from the crowd are allowed to stand up and give their opinion on whether or not they want me as their Prince. I can totally see Elijah standing up and saying I shouldn't be." Damon muttered.

"Won't that look bad considering Daisy is his mother?" Caroline asked and Damon nodded.

"It would look very bad." Damon agreed.

"Anyone can just stand up and say something?" Ric asked.

"Only if they've actually had dealings with me in some way or have met me. They can't just stand up and say they don't like the look of me or something." Damon smirked and they laughed.

"How does the ceremony thing actually work?" Ric asked.

"From what I remember, during the day there will be like entertainment and stuff like that as well as sentencing of Dark Dimension criminals and the final thing of the day will be me torturing a demon. After that there's feasting and partying at night. That goes on like every day for 28 days and on the 28th day it starts off with me torturing a demon then I'll go up to Daisy and stand beside her while people say things, if they even do. If they decide they're happy with me, they all kneel." Damon rolled his eyes. "If not they stand up. If it looks like it's a majority, Daisy will make me swear an oath to the Dark Dimension and tie me to it. Then she presents me as the High Crown Prince and there's more partying. That's about it." Damon said.

"Will you have a crown?" Caroline grinned and Damon scowled at her causing her to giggle. "You totally will, won't you?" She said and Ric chuckled.

"It's not exactly a crown, Barbie." Damon muttered and they both laughed. "It's a crown circlet made out of molten lava and hellfire." Damon said.

"Does Daisy wear a crown in the Dark Dimension?" Caroline asked and Damon nodded.

"Not in the palace but if she leaves the palace then she does. Or at functions." Damon said. "But apart from the ascension, I'll never wear one regardless of what she says." Damon said and they laughed. "Laugh all you want, you'll both have circlets too." Damon smirked and they looked surprised.

"Why?" Ric asked shocked and Damon chuckled.

"Because by being my two it's kind of the equivalent in the Dark Dimension of being given like a knighthood or something." Damon smirked and both their jaws dropped. "You'll have to introduce yourselves with your official royal titles too." Damon said amused.

"What are they?" Caroline asked shocked.

"You'll introduce yourself as the Royal Satyana Caroline." Damon said and she grinned.

"That's cool." Caroline said. "What does Satyana mean?" She asked.

"Truth." Damon replied. "Ric, you would be the Royal Satyam Alaric." Damon smirked.

"Do Daisy's two have the same thing?" Caroline asked.

"No, instead of Satyana and Satyam they are Amissa and Amicus." Damon said. "That means friend."

"So do we have to say that to everyone we meet in the Dark Dimension?" Ric asked curiously and Damon chuckled.

"In an official setting, yeah. You might actually get people calling you Satyana and Satyam instead of your first names as it's considered to be an honour and all that crap." Damon rolled his eyes. "Daisy's two get called their title names all the time. I'm sure there are a lot of people who don't even know that those aren't their real names." Damon said amused.

"Daisy said that I'd never have to be in the Dark Dimension ever again after the ascension if I don't want to be. Why is that if this is such an important thing?" Ric asked curiously and Damon shrugged.

"Because your obligation to the Dark Dimension is complete the minute I'm crowned." Damon said. "The rest of it, the titles, protection, money and advisory position are all supposed to be like a thank you. Since ascensions hardly ever happen, standing up with me to show support is a big deal there." He said. "It basically means that both of you have somewhere to live, work and endless money for the rest of eternity with the full protection of the palace." Damon smirked and both of their jaws dropped. "It's a really big deal there." He chuckled.

"Just for standing there?" Caroline asked shocked and Damon nodded.

"Yeah. Daisy will ask you if you stand there as my support and you just have to say yes, basically and that's it." Damon shrugged.

"Hypothetically, if the people chose to not accept you and Daisy had to kill you, what would happen to us?" Caroline asked and Damon chuckled. He'd wondered why they hadn't asked that earlier when he brought it up.

"You still fulfilled your oath so you would still be entitled to everything I said before with Daisy's full protection." Damon shrugged.

"So, the only one getting a raw deal is you." Caroline said seriously and Damon laughed.

"It's not really a raw deal. I'm just a creature of habit and don't like being obligated to do anything." Damon smirked.

"Speaking of your habits." Ric smiled. "What are you going to do about booze?" Ric asked amused and Damon laughed.

"You think I'd move anywhere there was no bourbon?" Damon asked amused and they both laughed. "Besides, I'll come back to this dimension occasionally to feed so anything I miss I can pick up here." He shrugged.

"Why to feed?" Ric asked.

"Daisy doesn't allow feeding there unless it's on volunteers." Caroline said to Ric and Damon looked surprised.

"Very true." Damon nodded. "As soon as the two of you get there, I want to you read over the laws of the Dark Dimension because Daisy is ridiculously strict and she can't show leniency just for ignorance of the laws." Damon said. "Believe me, I've broken a few of the laws and ended up in a cell in the hell dimension before." Damon smirked and they both looked shocked. "Not as many times as Noelle has been in one but still." Damon chuckled.

"Daisy put her own daughter in the hell dimension?" Caroline asked shocked and Damon nodded.

"Noelle should know better as the Queen's daughter. Daisy has to be fair. I understood why she put Noelle in there because Noelle kept feeding openly on humans in nightclubs and stuff and the people can't think the Queen allows her daughter to get away with it." Damon said.

"So do the volunteers earn credits by doing that?" Ric asked curiously and Damon nodded.

"They do. It earns them a lot of credits actually." Damon said. "It's cheaper to buy blood bags for a week there than one small fresh feed."

"Why is she so strict on that?" Caroline asked curiously.

"There was a time when the Dark Dimension was overrun by demons basically doing whatever the hell they wanted and it was basically what you would imagine hell to be. When Daisy became Queen she changed it all so that demons and humans would have a safe and peaceful place to live. Her father started the changes while he was in power at her insistence but he wasn't as strict about it all. The ascension ceremony changed completely with Daisy's ascension because she basically tortured the demons to show everyone else that she wasn't going to tolerate bad behaviour like her father did. She changed the hell dimension so that it was a place for punishment and there are different levels depending on what you do." Damon explained. "Now, the Dark Dimension is probably the closest place you can get to utopia. It's far more peaceful than this dimension will ever be. And Daisy doesn't hesitate to toss _anyone_ who breaks the rules into the hell dimension." Damon shrugged. "It's different for humans though. They just get put in a regular type of jail cell."

"So, if I fed from someone there that wasn't a volunteer... what exactly would be my punishment?" Caroline asked Damon.

"First time offence, if you didn't kill them, you would be publicly reprimanded for your action then put in a viewing cell in the hell dimension for about an hour or so." Damon smirked.

"What's a viewing cell?" Caroline asked hesitantly.

"It's a cell where you can see other demons being punished for really bad things." Damon said. "It's supposed to put you off ever breaking the laws again." Damon chuckled.

"So if I want to fresh feed, I should really just come here then right?" Caroline asked and Damon smirked.

"Yeah." He nodded. "There are the odd exceptions though as every supernatural can sometimes be victims of their natures. Like, once, Noelle was drunk in a club there and she kissed an incubus and he sucked out her life force until the point she was nearly desiccated so when he pulled away, she had no control and she nearly drained the first human she saw. Daisy punished the incubus for both crimes." Damon said and they nodded.

"Makes sense." Caroline said. "Will you be able to control your incubus side so that doesn't happen?" Caroline asked curiously as she would shortly be helping him transition.

"It's the smallest part of me so yeah." Damon nodded. "But apparently I'm going to still have to feed like that a little sometimes." Damon rolled his eyes.

"I know." Caroline nodded and Damon looked surprised.

"How did you know that?" Damon asked curiously.

"Because you're transition requires you to feed from a vampire, both blood and life force. You're getting the blood from Charlotte and life force from me." Caroline said and Damon's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He wasn't sure if he was furious, nervous, grateful or happy about that so he just didn't pick one emotion.

"What?" He asked in disbelief.

"Daisy asked me while you were dead." She shrugged.

"Uh..." Damon said stunned as he really didn't know what to say to that.

"It would obviously be too weird to do that from one of your kids." Caroline giggled.

"Did she... uh... tell you how that's done?" Damon asked her sceptically as he processed that.

"Yeah, I have to kiss you." Caroline shrugged.

"Barbie, you don't have to do that. Daisy can find someone else for that." Damon said sincerely.

"It's not a big deal, Damon." She rolled her eyes. "Daisy said you only need a little bit anyway." Caroline said.

"Uh... are you sure you're okay with that?" Damon asked and she giggled.

"Yes, chill out." She said amused and he smirked at her. Just then Stefan came in the door. Caroline glared at him and Damon was surprised at the look.

"Damon? What's going on? You... look cured." Stefan said shocked and Damon nodded.

"I am." He said and Stefan smiled.

"But how?" Stefan asked.

"Daisy." Damon shrugged and Stefan winced a little at her name.

"Damon, I'm going to get going. I'll see you soon. Let me know how everything goes." Alaric said to him and Damon smiled and nodded.

"I will. See you soon, Ric." Damon said then Alaric left.

"How what goes?" Stefan asked Damon confused.

"I'm leaving, Stefan." Damon said sincerely.

"What? Caroline, can you give us some privacy?" Stefan asked her.

"No, she's coming with me." Damon said and Stefan's jaw dropped. Caroline was surprised that Damon didn't want her to leave but she didn't comment.

"Where are you going?" Stefan asked.

"The Dark Dimension." Damon said and Stefan gasped.

"Why are you telling him?" Caroline hissed at Damon.

"Because Daisy compelled him a long time ago to be unable to tell anyone about anything regarding her or the Dark Dimension but so he would still know that one day she would have her revenge." Damon said.

"Oh." Caroline nodded.

"You told Caroline?" Stefan gaped at Damon.

"No, Bonnie did." Caroline said.

"Bonnie is one of Daisy's descendants." Damon said to Stefan and a look of understanding washed over him.

"Why are you going there?" Stefan asked in disbelief.

"Because Daisy had to change me into something else to survive the wolf bite. I'm in transition at the moment." Damon said.

"No." Stefan gasped. "You're not... you're ascending... aren't you?" Stefan asked stricken and Damon nodded.

"I am." Damon said.

"Stefan won't be visiting, right?" Caroline asked Damon.

"He can't. He would be thrown right into a cell in the hell dimension for crimes against the Queen." Damon explained and Stefan glared at Damon. "Don't give me that look, Stefan. You would deserve that for what you did back then." Damon said.

"I didn't have my emotions on then." Stefan said.

"I know that." Damon nodded. "Doesn't change the fact that with your emotions on you never even apologised to Daisy." Damon pointed out.

"How could I ever apologise for that?" Stefan asked in disbelief. "An apology could never make up for that."

"No, but it might make her feel a little better. To know that you feel guilt over it. To know that it matters to you that you did that." Damon said.

"Of course it matters." Stefan said as his eyes watered a little. "The fact that my brother has children and I couldn't know because of what I did..." Stefan shook his head and Damon sighed.

"Stefan?" Damon asked and Stefan looked at him. "Do you remember that night I tore you away from a human teenage girl?" He asked and Stefan nodded. "That was my daughter." Damon said and Stefan's jaw dropped and tears welled in his eyes. "Charlotte. That was who called you Uncle Stefan earlier." Damon said and tears streamed down Stefan's cheeks.

"I'm sorry." Stefan whispered as he wiped his eyes.

"Charlotte survived. It's Daisy you should be apologising to." Damon said to him.

"Damon, don't you need to pack?" Caroline asked him as she wasn't remotely interested in Stefan's heart ache over it all.

"I'll pack a few things." Damon nodded.

"Will I ever see you again?" Stefan asked him in a small voice and Damon sighed. As much as he despised his brother at times... he still kind of loved him and couldn't help it.

"Yes, you'll still see me sometimes." Damon nodded. "As far as anyone else is to know, I left town." Damon said.

"Okay." Stefan said with a nod. "Is there any way to contact you?" Stefan asked.

"I'll still have access to my cell phone." Damon said. "But that doesn't mean I want phone calls all the damn time, okay?" Damon warned and Stefan nodded. Just then Daisy popped back into the room.

"You ready?" She asked Damon.

"I haven't packed yet." Damon smirked at her and she rolled her eyes.

"Well, hurry up. You will have to transition soon or the werewolf poison could still kill you." She said and Damon sighed.

"Fine." He muttered then stood up and went up to his room and Daisy sat down on the couch next to Caroline.

"You ready to go, sweetie?" Daisy asked Caroline while ignoring Stefan.

"Yeah, I can't wait." Caroline grinned at her and Daisy smiled.

"Charlotte's room is near the kids' rooms so she's getting a room prepared for you next to hers if that's okay with you." Daisy said and Caroline smiled.

"That's great." Caroline said. "Thanks, Daisy."

"Apparently the girls want to take you out clubbing tonight." Daisy smiled and Caroline giggled.

"That sounds fun." She said. "Damon said I've to read over all the laws as soon as I get there so I don't break any accidentally." She said and Daisy chuckled.

"That's just because he didn't read them and ended up breaking a lot of them." She said. "Now, don't be alarmed by the hell hounds when we get there. They won't hurt you ever." Daisy said.

"What do they look like?" Caroline asked curiously.

"They come in different sizes but the ones at the palace look a bit like black wolves but they're the size of a grizzly bear." Daisy said and Caroline blinked in surprise.

"Wow. What exactly are hell hounds?" She asked.

"They act as body guards and security. You will be given a hell hound after you get there." She smiled.

"Why?" Caroline asked curiously.

"Well, he or she would go with you anywhere you go outside the palace. That way if anyone tries to hurt you or anything they can look after you." Daisy said. "A bite from a hellhound sends a person straight to a cell in the hell dimension until they can be properly sentenced for whatever they did." Daisy shrugged. "Charlotte wants to go shopping with you tonight for something to wear tonight if you'd like that." Daisy smiled.

"Girl knows me well already." Caroline giggled as did Daisy.

"Did Damon tell you about the credits system?" Daisy asked and Caroline nodded. "Your credits key will be ready for you by the time we get there." She smiled.

"Thank you." Caroline said sincerely.

"You're one of Damon's two. It's our pleasure." Daisy smiled. "Noelle is a little wild on a night out, advance warning." Daisy said and Caroline laughed.

"I could imagine that." She smiled. "Won't Daniel be coming out with us?" She asked curiously.

"No, he is seeing some of his friends tonight. He hasn't been home in a while, you see, and most of his friends aren't big fans of Noelle so on evenings that she's busy, he'll see his friends." Daisy laughed as did Caroline.

"Why aren't they fans of Noelle? I think she's great." Caroline said and Daisy smiled.

"So do I but Daniel's friends are a little shy and a bit nerdy so she makes fun of them a bit." Daisy said and Caroline giggled.

"Like father like daughter." Caroline smirked just as Damon was coming down the stairs with a suitcase.

"His friends set themselves up for teasing though." Damon pointed out and both girls laughed as Damon and Noelle were clearly so similar.

"Damon and Noelle used to gang up on Daniel and his friends when they would do something geeky that they found funny." Daisy said to Caroline who smiled.

"And the Mama's boy would run and tell his Mama on us." Damon smirked and they laughed.

"Which only made them worse." Daisy said and Caroline laughed.

"Damon, you do know that's terrible, right?" She asked him and he shrugged.

"It's character building." Damon smirked and they laughed.

"Anyway, you ready now?" Daisy asked Damon.

"Yeah." He nodded.

"How did you pack so quickly?" Caroline asked him confused.

"I had a suitcase packed anyway so I just put in a few things." Damon shrugged.

"I'll take Caroline first." Daisy said standing up. Caroline hurried over to her suitcase and brought it over. "Don't let go of my hand. You'll feel a little dizzy the first time you teleport." She smiled and Caroline grinned at the thought of teleporting. "Ready?" Daisy held out her hand.

"Ready." Caroline said as she took Daisy's hand and the two of them disappeared leaving Damon alone with Stefan.


	9. The Dark Dimension

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

* * *

><p>His Secrets<p>

Chapter 9

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><p>"What did Daisy mean when she said Caroline is one of your two?" Stefan asked Damon and he shrugged.<p>

"It's a thing for the ascension. Don't worry about it." Damon said absently.

"Will you keep her safe there?" Stefan asked Damon and he nodded.

"Barbie will be totally safe there. If you haven't noticed, Daisy loves her already." Damon pointed out. "And so do my kids." Damon said.

"Will you be tied to the Dark Dimension?" Stefan asked Damon and he nodded.

"Not until the last day of the ceremony. After that I'll probably be able to be in this dimension about two whole days a week at the most." Damon said.

"Will I ever be able to meet your children?" Stefan asked in a small voice and Damon stared at him for a moment in contemplation.

"I can tell you for a fact, Noelle won't be interested, but I'll ask the others. I know Charlotte wants to meet you properly so you can meet her the next time I come to this dimension." Damon said and Stefan looked surprised that Damon would agree.

"Won't Daisy be angry at you?" Stefan asked hesitantly and Damon shrugged.

"She can only say no with the two youngest ones. The other three are adults and Charlotte isn't her daughter so..." Damon said. "She might be pissed off but she didn't kill you because you were my brother and you aren't that monster anymore so she can't really say anything if I want my children to meet my brother."

"When was Charlotte born?" Stefan asked curiously.

"When I was eighteen." Damon said and Stefan's jaw dropped. They'd been best friends then and Damon never told him.

"Who was her mother?" Stefan asked shocked.

"Cassandra Robinson." Damon said and Stefan's eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

"Father's maid?" Stefan asked and Damon nodded. "She didn't disappear, did she?" Stefan asked.

"No, she would have been fired and thought badly of for having a baby at seventeen out of wedlock. She refused to marry me because she thought I would be disgraced." Damon said. "I told her I didn't care about that but she was adamant." He said. "So I bought her a house outside of Mystic Falls and she and Charlotte lived there until Cassie died. She knew what I was after I turned too." Damon said.

"You didn't tell me in case I told father." Stefan said finally and Damon nodded.

"You were only thirteen at the time. I was planning to tell you about Charlie once you turned eighteen as father was planning to retire then." Damon said. "Obviously that never happened and then we weren't on good enough terms for me to tell you about her." He shrugged.

"What's Charlotte like?" Stefan asked and Damon smiled softly as he thought of her.

"Wonderful." Damon said softly. "She's kind and gentle and probably the most decent person I've ever met. She's a vampire yet she's never killed anyone. She's never turned her emotions off. I'm so proud of her, Stefan." Damon said with a wide smile. The air shifted then and Daisy appeared.

"Hey, you ready to go?" She asked Damon.

"Mmhmm." Damon nodded then stood up. "Crap." He muttered.

"What?" She asked him.

"One second, I just need to grab a bottle from the basement." Damon said then darted down to the basement leaving Daisy alone with Stefan. Stefan took a deep breath.

"Daisy?" He asked softly and she snapped her head to look at him in shock. Stefan never spoke to her if he didn't have to.

"What?" She asked him.

"I know it'll never be enough but I just wanted to tell you that I'm eternally sorry for what I did. I wish I could take it back." Stefan said to her sincerely and she looked truly stunned.

"Why now?" She asked choked.

"Because I was too much of a coward to say it before." He said ashamed and Daisy stared at him for a moment. She'd lived a very long time so she understood just what a vampire was capable of without their emotions... but she wanted to be sure that he meant it.

"Let me read you." She said softly. Stefan stood up and held out his hand. Daisy looked at it for a moment then took his hand and closed her eyes. Stefan saw her eyes flicker for only a minute as she read every thought, feeling and memory he ever had. Daisy saw the extreme difference between Stefan as a ripper and Stefan with his emotions on animal blood. He was actually kind and good on animal blood. She saw how many times he'd cried over what he'd done. How broken he felt. How it haunted him. She saw how much pain he was in all the time because of his guilt. She saw how tortured emotionally he was over all the things he'd done without emotion... And she felt it was enough. He'd paid a penance which is what she'd wanted all along. She let go of his hand and wiped her eyes as she'd seen the memories of what he'd done to her children and it broke her heart all over again, but it was enough already. She couldn't hate Stefan Salvatore forever. Not when she cared so deeply for his brother. "I forgive you, Stefan." She said and Stefan's jaw dropped. Damon had just come through the door of the basement and his own face was one of pure shock at what she said.

"What?" Stefan asked shocked and she wiped her eyes again.

"I will remove your banishment from the Dark Dimension." She said softly and Stefan looked truly shocked. "You can come to Damon's ascension to support him if you'd like to." She said.

"Why?" Stefan asked emotionally.

"Because you've suffered enough over what you did. The person you are now didn't do those things to me." She said as another tear fell from her eye but she wiped it quickly away. "You're Damon's brother and Damon is about to become the High Crown Prince of the Dark Dimension... You are welcome there." She said. "No harm will come to you, I promise." She said. Damon walked over to her then with his bottle and suitcase and she took his hand and interlaced their fingers. Damon had known Daisy a very long time and knew that she was close to bursting into tears and she wouldn't want to do that in front of Stefan.

"See you soon, Stefan." Damon said to his brother with a nod. "Let's go, Dais." He said to her and she nodded then the two of them disappeared.

* * *

><p>Damon and Daisy appeared in the palace courtyard and Damon set down his suitcase then looked at Daisy. He didn't know how the hell that just happened.<p>

"Let it out, Dais." He said to her in a whisper and she burst into tears and grabbed onto him. Damon hugged her back tightly and rubbed her back as she sobbed into his shoulder. He just held her as she cried her eyes out. He understood that she was letting out all the pain that she'd felt for so long over what Stefan had done. He understood that she was allowing herself to finally deal with it. Damon heard footsteps and looked up to see Daniel and Noelle looking at the two of them wide eyed. Daisy rarely ever cried. Damon shot them a stern look in the hopes they would piss off and because they knew he was already furious at them, they went back into the palace. "Why did you do that, Dais?" Damon whispered and she sniffed a little but didn't let go of him.

"It was time." She whispered back.

* * *

><p>A short while later after an emotional conversation, Daisy calmed herself down and the two of them went into the palace. They made their way to the living room Daisy had in the family part of the palace. All the kids were there plus Caroline who was smiling widely at the two of them as they went in.<p>

"Hi, Daddy!" Jonah grinned at Damon who winked at him.

"Mom, you okay?" Daniel asked Daisy and she smiled.

"I'm fine." She nodded.

"Dad... your colour looks kind of... grey." Noelle pointed to him and Daisy snapped her head to look at Damon.

"Crap." She said. "You need to transition, Damon." She said seriously. "Noelle, Daniel... can you take the kids to their rooms?" Daisy asked them.

"Sure." Daniel nodded.

"Come and give me a hug first." Damon said to Jonah and Valentina. They ran over to him and Damon kneeled down and put one arm around each of them and hugged them both tightly. "I'll see you both really soon. Be good for your mother and Charlotte, okay?" He asked them.

"Okay, Daddy." Jonah nodded.

"Does that mean we don't have to be good for Ellie and Daniel?" Valentina asked with a little smirk and Damon chuckled.

"Make sure and throw lots of temper tantrums if they're watching you." Damon winked at her and she giggled while Daisy rolled her eyes at him.

"Got it." She winked back at Damon and he laughed.

"Okay, on you go." Damon said then nodded his head towards the door. Jonah ran over to Daniel and Valentina walked up to Noelle then the four of them left the room.

"How does this work then?" Charlotte asked Daisy.

"Caroline first." Daisy shrugged.

"Uh... Dais... how exactly does that work?" Damon asked her.

"You'll be able to feel it when it happens. You'll feel a tightening in your chest when your incubus transition is finished so just stop when you feel the tightening." Daisy shrugged.

"Fine, well, we don't need an audience so you and Charlotte, out." Damon nodded to the door.

"Stop, when you feel the tightening." Daisy said to Damon seriously.

"I will." He agreed then Daisy and Charlotte left the room and closed the door. Caroline felt a little bit awkward as did Damon. "You don't have to do this." Damon said to her softly.

"It's fine." Caroline shrugged then stood up and walked over to him. Damon could see that she was nervous and he felt a little bit nervous too. "So... are we supposed to just... not stop until you stop?" She asked and he chuckled.

"Uh... basically." He said.

"Fine." She smirked. "Come on then Mr Womanizer. Give it your best shot." She teased and he laughed.

"Alright then." He smirked then before she could comment he had her pinned to the wall and he stared into her eyes. Her breath hitched a little which annoyed her as she wasn't supposed to have her breath taken away by Damon Salvatore. Damon leaned down slowly and softly brushed his lips against hers. He cupped her cheek and she held onto his waist. After a moment they deepened the kiss. She allowed his tongue entrance and he silkily tasted her tongue against his. Damon's mind went blank with the amazing sensation of her soft mouth moving against his and moments later he was flush against her. Why was he doing this again? He couldn't remember. He was enjoying it too much to remember. Caroline somehow had managed to wrap her arms completely around his waist as he was pressed against her completely. Why was she doing this again? She couldn't remember. She was enjoying it too much to remember. Then Damon felt it. He felt the energy entering his body and it was incredible. He was sure his heart started to beat again. He felt alive. He felt a tightening in his chest and it spurred him to remember. He pulled back and stared at Caroline in shock and her expression matched his. What the hell had just happened between them?

"Uh... did it work?" Caroline asked a little flustered and Damon had to admit he felt a little flustered himself so he cleared his throat a little in the hope his voice wouldn't give him away.

"Yeah... right... the feeding." He nodded. "Yeah, it worked. Didn't you feel the energy draining?" Damon asked her.

"Well... I don't know, really." She replied because she couldn't really think straight.

"So, you don't feel weak or anything after... that?" He asked.

"No, I'm... fine." She said and she thought this was probably the weirdest conversation she'd ever had. Considering both of them were acting all awkward and incoherent.

"Good." Damon nodded. "Uh... thank you." He said.

"You're welcome." She replied then noticed she was still against the wall so she tried to shake herself out of it and took a step forward only for her knees to buckle. Damon caught her before she hit the ground though and he looked at her concerned.

"I took too much." He said wide eyed. Caroline was pretty sure that it would have happened regardless of him now being part incubus but at least she could use that as an excuse so she wouldn't look like a swooning Hollywood diva. "I'm so sorry." Damon said a little fearfully. "Daisy!" Damon yelled and the door opened and Daisy stepped through.

"What's wrong?" She asked concerned.

"I took too much." Damon said to her. "Can you fix her?" He asked wide eyed. Caroline still hadn't said anything because she could hardly say, 'you didn't take too much; you just made me swoon'.

"Caroline, sweetie? You okay?" Daisy asked her concerned.

"I'm fine." Caroline nodded.

"A little blood and you'll be back to normal. Charlotte's gone to get you some." Daisy said. "Damon, help her over to the couch." She said and Damon surprised them both by picking Caroline up and walking over then setting her down gently. Caroline felt like the world's biggest idiot in that moment as they were all so worried when the only problem was that Damon was such a good kisser. She wanted to roll her eyes at herself. Charlotte darted over to Caroline when she came into the room with a glass of blood then handed it to her.

"That'll make you feel better." Charlotte said to her softly and Caroline smiled lightly then nodded and drank.

"Why did that happen?" Damon asked Daisy annoyed. "You said to pull away at the chest tightening and I did." He said.

"I don't know." Daisy said sincerely.

"It's probably just because I haven't had any blood today before this." Caroline showed her glass. That was a lie but she thought it was better to lie than have Damon be mad at Daisy over it.

"That makes sense actually." Daisy nodded. "Caroline, sweetie, you can have as much blood as you want here. You just have to tell one of the staff and they'll get it for you." Daisy said softly.

"Thank you." Caroline replied. She felt terrible for lying when Daisy was being so nice but it was just so embarrassing. She felt even worse when she saw the guilt on Damon's face over it. "Damon, I'm fine. Stop worrying. Finish your transition." She said to him.

"This is why I didn't choose incubus to be higher up!" Damon glared at Daisy and she sighed.

"It's not like this will happen every time, Damon." Daisy pointed out and he shook his head.

"Let's just get this hell over with already." He said angrily. "I'm not feeding from Charlotte. Who knows what the hell will happen then." Damon said. Caroline felt so terrible but didn't know what to do about it.

"You don't have to feed directly from her, Damon. She could just put some in a glass for you. It doesn't have to be a lot." Daisy said soothingly.

"Whatever." Damon muttered. Charlotte hurried over to a small drinks cart in the corner and took a crystal tumbler from it. She bit into her wrist and allowed the blood to flow into the glass. She did it a second time as it only got about an inch full before her wrist healed.

"Is that enough, Daisy?" Charlotte asked.

"Yeah, that's fine, sweetheart." Daisy nodded.

"Want me to come down with you?" Charlotte asked Damon.

"No, stay with Caroline." Damon said to her then walked out of the room. Charlotte handed the glass to Daisy who sighed then followed him out. Charlotte went and sat next to Caroline on the couch.

"You feel okay?" Charlotte asked her softly.

"I feel terrible, actually." Caroline replied quietly.

"Why?" Charlotte asked concerned.

"This is so embarrassing." Caroline shook her head.

"What is?" Charlotte asked softly.

"Charlotte, I didn't feel weak at the knees from the energy being drawn out." Caroline admitted softly and Charlotte looked at her confused then realisation set in and she giggled.

"Oh, sweetie." Charlotte put her arm over her shoulders.

"I was about to tell Damon that then he yelled for Daisy and it was just so embarrassing, I couldn't say anything and now he's mad at her just because I'm clearly a drama queen and... oh god!" She said putting her face in her hands.

"Don't be embarrassed. You have a lot of chemistry with each other, I'm not really surprised." Charlotte smiled.

"But it'll be so much worse now because I have to tell Damon otherwise he'll think it was the incubus thing and keep being mad at Daisy... God, he's going to laugh at me." Caroline said.

"No, he won't, I promise I'll yell at him if he does. You don't have to tell him if you don't want to. He'll see the next time he feeds from someone that it isn't anything to worry about." Charlotte said.

"No, I have to tell him. Daisy has been so nice to me. I can't have Damon getting mad at her unnecessarily." Caroline said. "Can you take me down to see him once he's alone?" She asked.

"Sure." Charlotte nodded. "If that's what you really want to do." She said.

* * *

><p>Daisy took Damon down to the dungeon and his cell looked like a bedroom. She'd had it filled with movies, books, CDs, alcohol and other things to keep him preoccupied for the week. He went inside then drank the glass of Charlotte's blood. Daisy watched as his irises glowed red for the first time then he had a rapid werewolf transformation. His skin walker side increased the speed of his werewolf transformation and soon he turned into Stefan... which was a bit weird for him but he changed back to himself moments later. He wanted to be alone so Daisy left him.<p>

Charlotte knew that Daisy would be there for a while so she took Caroline out into the city with a couple of hell hounds and the two of them went shopping. Caroline was shocked at how wonderful the city was and the shopping was better than anything else she'd ever seen. The streets were litter-free, people were courteous and nice and she spotted vampires everywhere. She saw tons of gorgeous men and she was pretty sure she was in heaven. She'd been given her credit key before they left and Charlotte showed her how to pay in shops and told her that there was no limit on her credit key as she could always have whatever she wanted. Caroline had no intention of ever going overboard with the palace credits so she only bought a few things. She wasn't a greedy person after all. After they came back from shopping, Charlotte showed her the bedroom she would be staying in... Caroline wasn't sure that it could be called a bedroom considering she was pretty sure it was twice the size of the bottom part of her mother's house and the connecting bathroom was enormous too. The bathroom had a huge Jacuzzi bathtub and a large luxury shower. Caroline wasn't sure that she would ever want to leave the Dark Dimension now.

Soon, Charlotte took Caroline down to the dungeon and walked her around to the quiet part Damon would be in. Charlotte pointed down a corridor for her so that Caroline could be alone with him then Charlotte went back to the entrance of the dungeon to give them privacy. Caroline walked down the corridor and found a very large cell without a door.

"Damon?" She asked and moments later she saw Damon walk over to the door.

"You okay? I'm so..."

"Stop." She said cutting him off and he looked at her intently. He got this wave of emotions from her then and it felt like pure embarrassment and nervousness and that had him a little surprised and intrigued. "I... uh... have to tell you something." She said and he cocked an eyebrow at her. "This is probably going to be the most embarrassing moment of my life so I swear to God if you mock me for it, I'll find a way to kill you even if that would be treason or something." She warned and he bit his lip as he tried not to laugh at her getting all flustered.

"Okay." He said amused.

"Well... you didn't take too much so don't be mad at Daisy." She said and he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"But, you nearly fell over." Damon pointed out and she blushed crimson and couldn't look at him in the eye for the next part.

"Uh... that was... oh for God's sake..." She shook her head. "You kissed me off my feet, okay!" She exclaimed and his eyes widened and he cracked up into laughter.

"You swooned!" He exclaimed delighted and grinned at her and she rolled her eyes still blushing furiously.

"What do you think the time in the hell dimension would be for killing a future monarch?" She asked him annoyed and he laughed. He was going to tease her more but didn't think that would be fair considering his own feelings about it.

"If it makes you feel any better, if I hadn't just had my energy replenished, I probably would have had the same fate." He admitted with a smile and she blinked in surprise.

"What?" She asked surprised and he chuckled.

"It was some kiss, Barbie." He smirked. "You totally made my day, by the way." He said and she giggled. That was true. He'd had a really crappy day and he felt really happy all of a sudden.

"Why's that?" She asked and he smiled.

"I've never made a girl swoon before." He winked and she rolled her eyes.

"Now that I've explained, can you just forget about this?" She asked him seriously and he laughed.

"Never." He smirked and she sighed.

"I figured." She muttered. "Well, can you not tell anyone else, please?" She asked.

"I won't." He smirked. "But I might still mock you a little in private." He said and she sighed.

"I figured." She said and he chuckled. He understood that she only told him because he'd been angry at Daisy and he was continually surprised by her kind heart so he probably wouldn't tease her about the kiss too much. And if he did, it certainly wouldn't be in a mean way.

"What have you been doing?" He asked curiously. His bad mood was completely drained by her revelation.

"Charlotte and I went out into the city and went shopping. This place is amazing, Damon." She said and he nodded.

"Yeah, it's cool. I overheard Daisy telling you that the girls wanted to take you out clubbing. You going to go?" He asked.

"Yeah." She smiled. "I read over the laws, so I know what not to do." She said.

"Good." He nodded. "Don't let Noelle talk you into anything crazy." Damon said and she giggled.

"Charlotte and Daisy already said the same thing." She said and he chuckled.

"You getting along with Charlotte?" Damon asked and Caroline shot him a look of disbelief.

"Do you think it's possible to not get along with Charlotte?" She asked him and he smiled. "She's like the nicest person I've ever met." Caroline added.

"Yeah, it's kind of insane to think she's my daughter, huh?" Damon smirked and she giggled.

"A little, yeah." She smirked and he chuckled. "Do you really have to stay in there for a whole week? You seem fine." She said.

"Yeah, I do. Want to see the skin walker thing?" Damon smirked at her and she nodded. "Pick anyone." He said and she thought about it.

"Johnny Depp." She said and he chuckled. He closed his eyes and her jaw dropped when seconds later his features changed and Johnny Depp was standing in front of her. "Oh my god!" She exclaimed and he smirked then turned back. "That is too cool." She said.

"Maybe, but I've been in here for like three hours and I've turned into almost everyone I know." Damon said with an eye roll.

"Even girls?" She asked stunned and he chuckled.

"Even you." He said and her eyes bugged.

"That's too weird." She said shocked. "I think I have to see that." She said and he laughed. He closed his eyes then moments later he shrunk a few inches his hair turned long and blonde and moments later Caroline was staring at herself in shock. She noticed then that even though she was staring at an exact copy of herself, the eyes were still ice blue. Still Damon's eyes. He turned back to himself before she could comment on it. "That's freaky. I feel really bad for Elena." She said and he chuckled.

"It's so weird." He said. "The weirdest part is I can change my voice to sound exactly the same too." He said.

"Who was the first person you changed into?" She asked curiously.

"Stefan." Damon said and she figured that it was because they saw each other at the boarding house.

"I so have to find a skin walker to date." She said and he laughed.

"Why?" He asked curiously.

"Because I'll be able to have sex with all of my favourite celebrities." She said and he chuckled.

"They'll get pissed if you ask for that." Damon smirked.

"You think?" She asked surprised.

"Wouldn't you? If someone asked you to change the way you look so they could have sex with someone else?" He asked and her eyes widened.

"That is pretty mean. I feel bad now." She said and he chuckled.

"Don't feel bad. It's probably a very standard reaction." Damon said sincerely and she nodded.

"What are you going to do in there all week?" She asked curiously and he shrugged.

"Drink, read, watch movies." He shrugged. "I'm sure Daisy will bring the kids by at some point." He said. "What are you going to do while you're here?" He asked as he leaned against the door frame.

"Charlotte and I talked about that while we were out. We're going to hang out with Jonah during the day and Valentina if she wants to, then at night we're going to party with Noelle or go out and explore the city." She smiled.

"If you want to do something else instead of hanging out with Jonah, Noelle or Daniel will take you." Damon said.

"That's okay, I love kids, Damon. I'm really looking forward to hanging out with Jonah. He's an awesome little guy." She smiled and Damon grinned at her.

"He is awesome." Damon agreed.

"Thank you for introducing me to your family. They're really wonderful." She said sincerely and he kind of melted a little at that.

"You're welcome. I'm glad you're here, Barbie." He smirked and she giggled.

"You know, now that I know why you call me that, it doesn't bother me anymore." She smirked and he cocked an eyebrow at her.

"What do you mean?" He asked confused and she laughed.

"You don't remember telling Charlotte and I when you were in the cell in the boarding house?" She asked and his eyes widened.

"I said that out loud?" He asked in disbelief and she giggled.

"Yep." She winked at him and she was shocked to see a faint blush appear on his cheeks.

"Uh... Werewolf bite. You talk a lot of crap with that." He said and she smiled at his lie.

"Guess we both have something embarrassing on the other now." She teased and he chuckled.

"Touché, Caroline." He smirked.

"I know." She smiled and he laughed. "Anyway, I'm pretty sure that Charlotte is getting bored standing outside the dungeon waiting for me." She said. "Have a good night. I'll come see you tomorrow." She said and he nodded.

"Have fun with the girls." He smiled. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." He smirked and she giggled.

"I'll keep that very short list in mind." She said and he laughed.

"You do that." He said and she smiled.

"Night, Damon." She waved then walked back down the corridor.

* * *

><p>Caroline walked out of the dungeon into the courtyard and Charlotte stood waiting for her.<p>

"How'd it go?" She asked and Caroline giggled.

"He totally laughed at me." Caroline said.

"I'm sorry." She said sincerely.

"It's cool. I teased him back with why he calls me Barbie and he shut up." She smirked and Charlotte giggled.

"Fair enough." She smiled. "Is he alright?" She asked and Caroline nodded.

"Yeah, he seems to be in a pretty good mood actually." Caroline said and Charlotte smiled a little as she could just imagine why he was in a good mood.

"That's good. Did he turn at all?" She asked and Caroline laughed.

"Yeah, he wanted to show me it and said to pick someone so I picked Johnny Depp and oh my God, it was awesome." She grinned and Charlotte laughed. She was surprised that Damon would do that but then she was surprised at a lot of things he did around Caroline.

"I hope he never does that in front of me because I like Johnny Depp." She said and Caroline laughed.

"Yeah, I can imagine your dad turning into a hot guy isn't exactly what you want to see." Caroline said and Charlotte giggled.

"Exactly." She smiled.

* * *

><p>Caroline's eyes fluttered open and she looked around in momentary confusion until she remembered where she was then she smiled. She was in her new bedroom in the palace. Her bed was <em>so<em> comfortable and it was enormous. She was convinced four people could sleep in it comfortably. She'd had one of the most fun nights out ever with Charlotte and Noelle. They'd gone to a bar then an open air night club that was like a huge party. The music was great, there were drinks made especially for vampires which were the best alcoholic drinks Caroline had ever had. The men were gorgeous and she'd been introduced to some of Charlotte and Noelle's friends and they were all great. Caroline fit in with them so well and she was convinced that she would be best friends with both of them in no time. She grinned at the thought of getting to stay in the Dark Dimension. She figured it should have been weird considering Damon was their _father_ but it wasn't. She didn't see it like that at all.

She rolled out of bed and wandered into the bathroom. She tried out her super shower and it was _amazing_. Water sprayed at her from all directions and she loved it. She dried off then got dressed and did her hair and makeup. She'd arranged to meet Charlotte in the kids' playroom when she woke up. She left her bedroom and wandered down the hall. She passed by a member of staff who said 'Good morning, Satyana' to her and she grinned and said good morning back. She figured she'd have to get used to the name but she was very happy that it was a beautiful name. She wandered into the playroom to find Daisy, Charlotte and Jonah.

"Morning." Caroline smiled at them.

"Good morning." Jonah and Charlotte said at the same time.

"Morning, sweetie." Daisy smiled back. "Did you have fun last night?" She asked curiously.

"It was awesome." Caroline giggled as did Charlotte. "The drinks are incredible." She said and they laughed.

"Specially made alcohol depending on what you are." Daisy nodded.

"I love this place." Caroline said sincerely.

"You're welcome to stay as long as you like and it makes me so happy that you love it already." Daisy grinned at her.

"I wanted to ask you something actually. Damon said something yesterday and it had me wondering... what do I call you in public?" Caroline asked and Daisy smiled.

"In the palace or just around family and friends, Daisy is fine. At functions or if you're out in the city, if you're talking about me you can just call me the Queen. If you are going to address me directly in front of any dignitaries or the public it would be Queen Aibreann, because you have your own title you wouldn't need to be any more formal than that. Personally, I wouldn't care if everyone called me Daisy but there are dignitaries that have been in power since my father was the King and they expect things to be a certain way and it would cause major problems if I abolished that so it's better to just not cause a fuss." She rolled her eyes.

"Okay." Caroline smiled.

"So what are we going to do? I guess I could take Jonah with me." Charlotte said to Daisy.

"You shouldn't have fired the nanny yesterday and we wouldn't be having this discussion." Daisy shot Charlotte a pointed look.

"Yes, but I didn't think there would be a meltdown at the office." Charlotte pointed out. "It'll only be for like a couple of hours." She said.

"I can't get out of this meeting and Noelle and Daniel went back to the other dimension to feed." Daisy said.

"I could keep Jonah company." Caroline said to them both and they turned to look at her surprised.

"Can she, Mama? I like Caroline." Jonah smiled and blushed a little.

"You're not here to be a babysitter." Daisy said to her softly and Caroline giggled.

"It wouldn't be like that." Caroline smiled. "I could take Jonah down to see you know who and we could maybe play legos." She said. Daisy thought about that for a second.

"You wouldn't mind?" Daisy asked.

"No, not at all. I'm sure a certain person would love to see Jonah." Caroline said and Daisy giggled.

"He's probably beyond bored down there." She agreed.

"I won't be gone long." Charlotte said to Caroline.

"Charlotte, take your time. You showed me around the palace yesterday so I know where to take him to get his meals and where to take him if he falls and hurts himself. Don't worry, we'll be fine." Caroline smiled. "Jonah?" Caroline asked.

"Yes, Caroline?" He blushed a little and she thought he was just so cute.

"I did gymnastics with my little cousin a little while ago and he loved it. I could maybe teach you how to do somersaults and cartwheels, if you want?" She asked softly and he grinned.

"That sounds fun!" He said happily and Daisy and Charlotte giggled a little at his cuteness.

"The barrier only keeps him in. Anyone else can enter then get out again but it's better if nobody human enters." Daisy said to Caroline cryptically and Caroline nodded in understanding.

"I'll explain that to him." Caroline smiled.

"You're such a sweetheart, Caroline. I promise I'll try to be done soon." Daisy said sincerely.

"Don't worry about us." Caroline said genuinely. "If I have any questions or problems, I can ask you know who or one of your staff. They're all so nice." She said.

"Thank you." Daisy said.

"It's no trouble at all." Caroline said. "I'll take him now then." She smiled.

"Okay." Daisy smiled.

"Jonah? Do you want to go see your Daddy?" Caroline smiled and he grinned so widely.

"Yes, please! Can we?" He asked excitedly and she smiled.

"Absolutely." She grinned. "Do you want to take some toys down and we can play with him?" Caroline asked with a smile.

"Can we take legos?" Jonah asked her with a happy smile.

"Of course we can. Which box do you want to take?" Caroline asked. She noticed he had a couple of different boxes with different types of legos. Jonah jumped to his feet and hurried over and pointed to a box. Caroline went over and lifted the handle then picked it up.

"Say bye to your mom and Charlotte then we'll go." Caroline smiled at him.

"Bye, Mama!" Jonah exclaimed as he ran over and hugged her and she grinned at how happy he was.

"I'll be back soon, sweetie. Be good for Caroline, okay?" She asked him.

"I will." He nodded happily then ran over and hugged Charlotte.

"I'll be back in no time. Have fun." Charlotte smiled.

"Ready?" Caroline asked him with a smile.

"Ready!" He grinned then ran over and held his hand up to her. She smiled and took his hand with her free hand.

"See you later." Caroline smiled at the two women.

"Bye." Charlotte waved.

"Thank you, Caroline." Daisy said sincerely.

"Don't worry about it, your majesty." Caroline winked at her and she laughed. Caroline walked out of the playroom with Jonah in one hand and his lego box in the other.

"She's wonderful." Daisy said to Charlotte with a huge smile.

"Daisy, she has a heart of gold. Honestly, she's just so nice to everyone. I seriously think that she'll end up being my best friend in no time." Charlotte said sincerely.

* * *

><p>Caroline and Jonah walked towards the dungeon and Jonah told her all about his morning and she just thought he was so adorable. She didn't mind hanging out with him in the slightest. She was used to babysitting her little cousins and she'd always loved it, that's why she'd offered. When they got to the dungeon, Caroline stopped and crouched down in front of Jonah. He looked at her curiously.<p>

"Jonah, you remember yesterday your Daddy turned into what your Mama is?" She asked him.

"I remember." He nodded with a smile.

"He's in a room down there because in the first week of becoming what your Mama is, his body is acting a little weird." She said to him.

"Weird?" He asked curiously.

"He can change to look like someone else and he's really strong so he doesn't know his own strength. So, if it's okay with you, we need to make this week as easy as possible for him. You want to help me with that?" She asked him.

"I always want to help Daddy." He nodded. "What can we do?" He asked curiously and she smiled.

"We can't hug him for a whole week." She said wide eyed and his jaw dropped.

"No hugs?" He asked shocked.

"No hugs." She shook her head.

"Will that make it easier for him?" Jonah asked.

"Yes." Caroline nodded. "But after the week, you can make up for it and give him lots of hugs." She smiled and he grinned back at her.

"Okay." He smiled.

"Now, he's in a room down those stairs." She pointed and he nodded. "The room has a magical door so we can't go inside." She said and he looked surprised.

"Okay." He nodded.

"We can still see him and talk to him but it'll be easier for him if we don't go through the magical door. Is that okay with you?" She asked him.

"That's okay with me." He agreed.

"You're such a good boy, Jonah." She smiled and he grinned at her. "You know, I think I'm going to tell your Daddy just what a good boy you are." She said.

"Really?" He asked so happily.

"Yes." She smiled. "Let's go see him." She grinned.

"Okay!" He said happily then she stood up.

"Want me to carry you down those stairs? They're kind of steep." She said to him.

"Okay." He lifted his arms up and she picked him up and put him on her hip while she held the box of legos in her other hand. She made her way down the stairs then took the corridor down to Damon's cell.

"Damon?" She called when she got to the door and he appeared.

"Daddy!" Jonah grinned and Damon looked surprised but really happy.

"Hey, Jojo." Damon said with a smile. "Did you sleep well?" He asked him.

"I slept well, Daddy. Did you?" He asked. He was still on Caroline's hip.

"Yeah, I did actually. Your mother put in a comfy bed." Damon smirked and Jonah giggled. Damon smiled at Caroline then.

"Hey, how'd your night out go?" He asked with a smirk.

"It was amazing." She grinned. "Jonah, do you want to sit down and we'll play legos with your Daddy?" She asked him.

"Yes, please." The little boy beamed at her. Damon was surprised to see Jonah on Caroline's hip as he wasn't a child that liked being lifted but he was sitting there happily. He noticed that Jonah obviously liked Caroline a lot. Caroline set him down and Damon was surprised that Jonah didn't try to run into the room to hug him. Jonah sat down on the ground and Caroline sat down next to him and crossed her legs. "You want to play with us, Daddy?" Jonah asked and Damon chuckled then sat down on the ground across the barrier from them.

"Jonah, remember I told you about the magical door?" Caroline asked with a smile.

"I remember." He smiled up at her.

"The magical door is right here." She pointed along the line of the barrier.

"Okay, I'll remember." He nodded to her and Damon shot her an amused look.

"Where's Charlotte?" Damon asked curiously as he wasn't expecting Caroline to be alone with Jonah, not that he minded.

"Charlotte had to go to Boston for a work thing." Caroline said as she emptied out the legos from the box in front of her and Jonah.

"And Daisy made you babysit?" Damon asked surprised and she giggled.

"No, of course not. I'm not babysitting. Jonah and I are hanging out." She corrected and he smiled at her warmly for that.

"Daddy?" Jonah asked and Damon looked at Jonah. "Caroline is going to teach me gymnastics later." He grinned and Damon chuckled. He thought that was nice of her.

"No cheerleading." He smirked and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Just for that comment I'm going to teach him a cheer." She smirked and he laughed.

"You would." He smirked and she giggled.

"I would." She nodded and he smiled.

"How are you feeling today, Daddy?" Jonah asked him and Damon smiled.

"I'm feeling good, Jonah." Damon nodded. "You're going to be good for Caroline today, right?" He asked and Jonah nodded.

"Jonah was already such a good boy." Caroline grinned at him and Jonah beamed at her for telling his Daddy that.

"Is that so?" Damon asked with a smile. "That's great, Jonah." Damon said and Jonah looked so happy. Damon could feel Jonah's emotions and was nearly knocked over by how much the little boy loved and idolized him. It made Damon want to cry actually but he decided that was definitely not the time and place to get emotional over it. "Where's everyone else?" Damon asked curiously.

"The twins went back to the other dimension to feed and Daisy had to go to a meeting." Caroline shrugged.

"Caroline? Can we stay down here with Daddy all day?" Jonah asked her and Damon was kind of surprised that he asked her that like she had authority over him so Damon smirked at her waiting for her answer.

"Well, how about this?" She suggested. "We can stay and play with your Daddy for a while then we'll go get you some lunch. Charlotte told me yesterday that you go for a little nap after lunch so when you've had your nap we can come back. What do you think?" She asked him.

"Okay, Caroline." He smiled at her and Damon chuckled at how well she handled that.

"That alright with you?" Caroline asked Damon.

"That's fine." He said amused.

"I can bring down a deck of cards if you want to play poker or something later." Caroline shrugged and Damon looked surprised.

"You can play poker?" He asked and she giggled.

"I am _awesome_ at poker." She smirked and he chuckled.

"So am I." He smirked back.

"Good. It's a drag playing with people who suck." She said and he laughed. "By the way, are all the beds here so huge? I swear four people could sleep in mine." She said and Damon wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and she giggled. "You know what I mean." She said and he chuckled.

"Yeah." He nodded. "Where is your room?" He asked curiously.

"It's down the last hall on the right in the left wing after the playroom." She said and he nodded.

"I don't think I've ever been in there." He chuckled.

"It's enormous. I had the best shower of my life this morning. Honestly, the thing is better than a spa." She said and he smirked.

"Thanks for that hot soapy image." He winked at her and she blushed a little and laughed. "Did you know there's a button you can push that makes your room soundproof?" He smirked at her and she laughed.

"I'm guessing with all the supernatural hearing that could come in handy." She said amused and he chuckled.

"Exactly." He replied.

"Is that... uh... allowed?" She asked curiously.

"Yeah, but there's an apartment block in the city for one time things. Only boyfriends and girlfriends are allowed in the palace." He said. "Security reasons." He added and she nodded.

"Wait – is that the blue building next to the museum?" Caroline asked curiously and Damon chuckled.

"Yeah." He asked surprised. "How'd you know?" He asked.

"Uh... no reason." She replied.

"Oh, c'mon... you have to tell me now." He smirked.

"Damon." She said annoyed and his eyes widened in realisation. She didn't want to be a tattle tale and he chuckled.

"Ah." He said. "Noelle took someone there." He said amused and her jaw dropped.

"I didn't tell you that." She pointed out.

"I'm not going to say anything, Barbie." He smirked. "You have to remember that we used to go clubbing together and travelled together. I know exactly what she's like. When we're out, she doesn't give a crap that I'm her dad. If she sees someone she wants, she goes for it." He chuckled.

"Isn't that kind of weird for you?" She asked surprised.

"Not really anymore. At first I was a little freaked out but I was doing the same thing so I could hardly comment on what an adult vampire decides to do." He chuckled and Caroline nodded in agreement. Jonah was sitting building away with his legos while they talked.

"I had so much fun with Charlotte and Noelle last night. Partying here is incredible." She said and he chuckled.

"You liked the vampire cocktails, huh?" He asked and she giggled.

"So amazing." She agreed. "By the way, Charlotte also likes Johnny Depp and would really appreciate it if you don't ever turn into him in front of her." Caroline said and Damon laughed.

"Yeah, I could see why that would be creepy." He smirked. "I thought about it and I'm looking forward to all the mischief I can get up to now with that ability." He said amused and Caroline giggled.

"It won't work on me." She said with a smile.

"Why not?" He asked curiously.

"Because when you change you still have your own eyes." She said and he blinked in surprise.

"Really?" He asked stunned. He was kind of shocked that he didn't know that and even more so that she knew his eyes that well.

"Mmhmm." She smirked. "Oh, by the way, why didn't Daisy mention Valentina? Where is she?" Caroline asked.

"Valley went to school." Jonah said to Caroline.

"On a Saturday?" Caroline asked surprised and Damon chuckled.

"Things work a little differently here." Damon said amused. "School doesn't work the same way. Children aren't taught things to pass examinations, they're taught things in a way they'll remember. Every child has to be taught every subject, regardless whether they like it or not." Damon said. "They don't get weekends. Instead, there are classes at different times of the week so that if for some reason the child can't go to school one day, they can go to a class at a different time. If they do longer days, they can have more days off, or go to only a couple of classes a day and go every day." Damon shrugged. "It's quite flexible." Damon said.

"That actually sounds great." Caroline said sincerely.

"The education level is far superior here. After you finish school here, you could probably pass the end of degree examinations for most university courses back in the other dimension." He smirked.

"Wow." She said surprised.

"They have to go to school until they're 20 though." Damon said amused and Caroline's jaw dropped.

"Oh my god. So there are people in school here older than me?" She asked shocked and Damon chuckled.

"Yeah. They have all sorts of elective classes here in different subject areas if you'd be interested in something like that down the line. It might get very boring just hanging out at the palace after a while." He shrugged. "I took some classes out of interest when I lived here with Charlotte when she was human. It's quite interesting." He said.

"I'll definitely look into it after Charlotte and I move here." Caroline nodded.

"Have you talked about moving here?" Damon asked surprised.

"Yeah." Caroline nodded. "She's planning to quit her job in Boston in a year because she's been there for three years already and she wants to move here to be close to you, Jonah and Valentina." She shrugged. "I can already tell that we're going to be good friends so I'll come too." She smiled. Damon felt her emotions and was hit by a pang of regret and sadness.

"What is it?" He asked her softly.

"Huh?" She asked curiously.

"You felt sadness and regret there." He said and she blinked in surprise.

"I didn't know you could do that yet." She said and he nodded.

"Right now I can't control it. Eventually I'll be able to control when I do it but now I just get hit by things." He said and she nodded. "So?" He asked cocking his head to the side.

"I don't want to go to Boston." She said softly and his eyes widened.

"Why not? Is it Charlotte?" He asked concerned.

"No, not at all. I like Charlotte so much and if I hadn't come here first, I'd want to go to Boston." She said. "This place is just incredible. I could be a vampire freely last night. Everyone knew and it was just accepted. I met other supernaturals and talked to them and it was so great. I don't want to have to go back to the other dimension to live." She said sincerely. Damon was surprised by her comment as she hadn't even been there for a day yet but he remembered what it was like the first time he visited the Dark Dimension and he'd loved the freedom too.

"Then don't go." Damon said to her casually.

"What?" She asked surprised.

"You don't have to go to Boston. You can stay here." He shrugged. "You're one of my two. You can live here forever if you want to." He smirked. "I know Daisy gave you a bedroom over by the playroom but you're actually entitled to one of the royal apartments across the courtyard. It would be a full apartment and you could live there if you wanted to. Or in the room you're in now, it would be your choice. You can stay here if you want to." He said sincerely.

"Would you be okay with that?" She asked sceptically and he chuckled.

"It might be nice having a familiar face around." He smirked and she giggled.

"Wouldn't that be like invading on your time with your family? Since it would be just you, Daisy, Jonah and Valentina here all the time?" She asked and Damon chuckled.

"No, not at all. I'll spend my days with Jonah, Valentina will be at school most days and Daisy is always busy." Damon shrugged. "There're lots of things for you to do too. You can take classes or hang out with Jonah and I. You make friends easily so you'd have a social life in no time." Damon pointed out. "There are different types of jobs if you wanted to do that but that's kind of pointless since you have limitless money now." He chuckled.

"Caroline?" Jonah asked and she turned to look at him with a smile. "Can you stay here with me and Daddy?" He asked her innocently and Damon chuckled with amusement.

"Think you'd like that?" Caroline asked Jonah.

"I think it would be fun." Jonah replied.

"Well, if it's okay with your Daddy then I'll stay." Caroline nodded.

"Do you have any nicknames?" Jonah asked her curiously and she giggled.

"My friends call me Care." Caroline said.

"Can I call you that?" Jonah asked her in the sweetest little innocent tone ever and she melted.

"Of course. Does that make you my first friend in the Dark Dimension then?" She asked him and he beamed at her. Damon smiled at her fondly for that as he could feel how incredibly happy that made Jonah. He didn't have any friends yet.

"Okay." He grinned at her. "But isn't Daddy your friend?" He asked her curiously and she giggled.

"No, Jonah. Your Daddy doesn't do friends." She said and Damon smirked at her.

"Why don't you want to be friends with Caroline, Daddy?" Jonah asked him sadly and Damon chuckled.

"You couldn't have just fibbed?" Damon asked Caroline amused and she laughed knowing he didn't want to disappoint his son.

"I was just kidding, Jonah. But your Daddy and I were friends before I came here, even if he doesn't want to admit it, so you're still my first friend here." She smiled and he grinned back at her. He liked that idea very much.

"I suppose for an easy life I should just admit it." Damon smirked at her and she laughed.

"No need." She smiled fondly at him. "Sometimes things don't need to be talked about to death." She said and he smiled a genuine smile at her. Damon liked that response very much.


	10. Guts

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

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><p>His Secrets<p>

Chapter 10

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><p><em>Dedicated to inkprincess31 who misses Jonah :) That was a wonderful thing for me to be told as the author. Hope you enjoy it!<em>

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><p>Caroline spent a couple of hours with Jonah and Damon down at the cell then she took Jonah up for lunch. After his lunch she took him to his room and read him a story until he fell asleep. There was nobody else around that wing of the palace and she didn't want to leave little Jonah to wake up by himself so she went to the palace library, grabbed a history book then went back to Jonah's room and relaxed in a chair and read. She wanted to know more about the Dark Dimension so she started reading about the early history and she could see what Damon meant about Daisy completely changing things. Jonah woke up after about an hour and a half then she took the book back to the library. Jonah really wanted to do the gymnastics so they took some mats out to the grassy area next to the courtyard and she showed him how to do somersaults, cartwheels, she helped him do handstands and he loved every minute of it. Some of the staff saw them and they smiled fondly at Caroline. She greeted everyone she met with a big smile and they all liked her already. They thought it was nice that Jonah was out in the sunshine having some exercise as often he was just in his room all day playing legos.<p>

After about two hours of that, Jonah wanted to go tell his Daddy all about gymnastics so Caroline took him back to the dungeon. Jonah told Damon all about it in great detail and Damon was internally thrilled at how happy Jonah was about the whole day. He hadn't seen Jonah so ecstatic about anything in a while and like any dad, he just wanted his kids to be happy. Caroline seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed her day with him too and Damon was pleasantly surprised by that but happy. After about an hour, Caroline took him back up to have dinner. Charlotte came back while they were having dinner then she took Jonah to get him bathed and ready for bed. Caroline grabbed a deck of cards like she'd mentioned and went back down to the cell as Charlotte was busy and she didn't really have anything else to do anyway. She remembered Daisy saying that humans shouldn't go into the cell but she didn't tell Caroline not to go in so Caroline just walked right through the barrier to find Damon lying on his bed.

"Hey." She smiled and he gave her a look of disbelief.

"What are you doing in here?" He asked her shocked.

"Daisy said only humans couldn't come in here with you." Caroline pointed out. "So, I brought cards like I said I would and that lovely woman, Lara, in the kitchen made me up some vampire cocktail to bring down." She showed the bottle to Damon with a grin and he chuckled. Her smile faltered a little. "Unless, do you want to be alone?" She asked him and he shrugged.

"Staring at the ceiling by myself or playing poker with booze and a hot blonde? What do you think?" He smirked and she giggled then climbed up on his bed and sat cross legged. He sat up as well and she handed him the bottle. He opened it and took a swig then sighed.

"God, that's good." He said and she grinned. "I haven't had this stuff in so long." He admitted.

"What is it that makes it especially tasty for vampires?" She asked curiously.

"They put this herb in it that is like the opposite of vervain. It's almost like a boost of vitamins and minerals especially for vampires. Then they add in some blood, booze and flavours, depending on the cocktail mix." Damon explained. "This drink, though it gets us drunk, is actually highly nutritious." He chuckled and she laughed.

"Does it taste different to you? Now that you're not just a vampire?" She asked curiously.

"No. I'm still mostly vampire." He shrugged.

"Have you had any other things happen except the skin walker change and the empathic thing?" She asked curiously.

"Yeah, I had my first werewolf transformation and I've been teleporting sporadically around the room." He chuckled and she giggled.

"That'll be cool once it settles down though." She smiled.

"Yeah." He nodded. "I'm looking forward to trying that out. Knowing my luck my first try will leave me at the bottom of the ocean or something." He smirked and she laughed.

"At least you don't need to breathe." She pointed out and he chuckled.

"Do you always see the bright side of things?" He asked amused and she shrugged.

"Why not?" She asked. "Why dwell on negative things? Nothing constructive comes out of negativity." She replied.

"Think it's that easy?" Damon asked amused.

"It's easier to be happy with what you're given than wasting time wishing for something different. I believe any negative situation has an upside." She smiled.

"Are you happy?" He asked her curiously and she giggled.

"Not all day, every day, but in general, yes." She nodded. "Though, I think I'm going to be happier than ever in this dimension. I know he's your son so I can't kidnap him but I had so much fun with Jonah out on the grass today." She giggled and Damon smiled widely. The kidnap part had Damon thoroughly amused.

"You really like him?" Damon asked softly.

"I do. He reminds me of my little cousin." She said sadly. "He had such a similar personality to little Jonah. Jonah is so much fun and he's so well behaved." She agreed.

"Did you say 'had'?" Damon asked her cautiously and Caroline blinked her eyes so they wouldn't water but it was futile. She wiped away a couple of stray tears that broke through anyway.

"Yeah, my little cousin, Sam, he... died." She nodded. "Two years ago." Damon's jaw dropped at that.

"How?" He asked. The thought of that really unnerved Damon as he didn't think he could survive one of his kids dying.

"He had leukaemia." She said. "He lived until he was five. But anyway, Jonah asked me if we can do gymnastics again tomorrow and I told him I'd ask." She said and Damon could tell she didn't want to talk about her cousin anymore.

"He loved it and it's good for him to get some exercise instead of just being in his room with his legos." Damon said. Caroline was relieved that Damon took the hint that she didn't want to talk about it.

"He liked being outside." She nodded. "He told me that his nanny never took him outside."

"His nanny sucked." Damon said and she giggled. "I'm going to take him down to the beach to swim after I'm out of here. Kids should be outside playing." He said.

"I think he'd like anywhere you take him." Caroline smiled. "You know, he talks about you all day." She said and Damon chuckled. He felt himself melt a little bit at that.

"What was he saying?" Damon asked amused.

"He was just telling me about when he and Valentina visited you and you'd take them to the park or the zoo or other places. Or it's what Daddy would think about this or what Daddy would say about that. Then he was saying that he was worried that you were lonely in here. It's so cute. I told him not to be worried because he could come down and keep you company whenever he wanted and he seemed happy with that." Caroline said and Damon chuckled.

"Daisy doesn't get a lot of time to actually do things with him but when he sees me I always actually spend time with him. I think that's why he's so attached to me." Damon shrugged.

"Damon, all your kids are seriously attached to you. You're like their hero." She said and Damon blushed a little. "You're obviously a very fair and good dad." She smiled.

"Thanks, Barbie." He said with a little smirk. He thought that was very sweet of her to say.

"Do you want to play dealer or shall I?" She asked and he chuckled. He was glad she wasn't forcing him to go into some mushy speech.

* * *

><p>About an hour later they were just finishing a hand of poker when Caroline realised the booze was nearly done.<p>

"Want me to go upstairs and get another bottle?" She asked him.

"You don't have to stay cooped up in here with me, you know." Damon smirked.

"Well, I like playing poker and you're actually pretty crafty at it so it's a challenge." She replied amused and he laughed. He thought she was pretty crafty at poker herself. She'd beaten him several times already which surprised him as he was really good at it. "So am I going to go get more cocktail or not?" She asked and he laughed.

"Alright." Damon nodded. They were both a little tipsy already considering the stuff was made for vampires so it got them drunk quickly.

"Cool, you want anything else?" She asked as she stood up.

"Can you bring down some blood?" Damon asked.

"Sure." Caroline nodded. "I'll be back in five minutes." She said then left the cell. She wandered up to the kitchen and Lara made up two more bottles of the cocktail for Caroline. This time she made two other flavours for them to try and Caroline thanked her kindly then walked back to the dungeon.

"Hey." Charlotte said and Caroline turned around with a smile.

"Hey!" Caroline grinned. "You want to come downstairs and play poker?" Caroline asked her and Charlotte giggled. She could see Caroline was a little tipsy already.

"I'm terrible at poker." Charlotte said amused. "I was actually just going to ask if you wanted to go out again tonight." She said.

"When do you want to go?" Caroline asked with a grin. She was really looking forward to another night out.

"In a few hours?" Charlotte asked.

"Sure." Caroline nodded. "Do you want to just come get me when you want to go? Or do you want me to be ready at a certain time?" She asked.

"Go on down. I have some work to do so I'll come let you know when I'm done." Charlotte smiled.

"Okay." Caroline grinned. "See you soon." She waved then hurried down the steps to the dungeon. Charlotte giggled a little at Caroline's obvious excitement to see Damon then she went back into the palace. She walked down to the family room then set up her laptop and went to work.

* * *

><p>About an hour later, Noelle wandered into the family room with a scowl on her face.<p>

"Hey." Charlotte smiled then noticed her sister's expression. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"Look, I know taking the kids down to see Dad when he was dead was stupid but I think twelve hours in the hell dimension was a bit much for a punishment." She said and Charlotte's jaw dropped.

"What?" She asked in disbelief. "You were in a cell all day?" She asked shocked.

"Yeah, you didn't know? Mom didn't even put Daniel and I together. We had separate cells so we couldn't even talk. It was a _fire_ cell too!" She said annoyed and Charlotte was truly shocked. Fire cells were cells surrounded in hellfire so they were incredibly warm and uncomfortable. It felt a bit like being cooked when in one.

"She said you and Daniel went to the other dimension to feed." Charlotte said with a dropped jaw.

"Yeah, I wish." Noelle muttered. "Where's Caroline?" She asked curiously.

"She's drinking and playing poker with Dad." Charlotte smirked and Noelle laughed.

"Excellent! This I have to see." She grinned.

* * *

><p>Noelle snuck down to Damon's cell and as she got to the corridor where his cell was she heard loud laughter and it made her smirk. So much for dad saying he couldn't care less about her, she thought amused. She crept up to the door and peeked in only to find them both sitting cross legged on the bed with cards in between them and Damon was telling her funny stories from over the years.<p>

"Then there was this other time where Noelle snuck out of the house and she talked Daniel into covering for her." Damon chuckled. "That boy can't lie to save himself so when I asked him where she was, he told me that she'd gone to volunteer at a soup kitchen." Damon laughed as did Caroline. "Noelle in a soup kitchen? That's probably about the most unbelievable excuse I've ever heard and I told him that then he said that he was sorry for lying but he was really just afraid of her wrath if he didn't cover for her." Damon laughed and Noelle couldn't help laughing too as she walked in the door.

"I wasn't that bad." She said amused. She could tell that they were both drunk.

"Considering you were fifteen and human and he was more afraid of you than his vampire father... that's saying something." Damon smirked and she rolled her eyes while Caroline giggled.

"Whatever." Noelle said. "Was the cell your idea?" She asked him and he looked confused.

"Huh?" He asked confused.

"I've just been released from a twelve hour punishment in the hell dimension." She said and both Damon and Caroline's jaws dropped.

"Twelve _hours_?" Damon asked in disbelief.

"In a fire cell." Noelle said and Damon gasped in shock.

"Fuck." He said shocked. "I was just going to yell at you." He admitted. "That was too much." He said and she shrugged.

"I've had worse." She said. "Though I think Daniel is scarred for life." She smirked.

"Wait a minute... Your _mother _put the _Mama's boy_ in for the same amount of time?" Damon asked in pure shock as Daniel had never been put in a cell before.

"Yep. She even put us in separate cells so we couldn't even talk." She said.

"But Daisy said you went to feed." Caroline said confused.

"That would have been way better than a hellfire cell." Noelle replied annoyed at her mother.

"What's that?" She asked cautiously.

"It's a cell that is suspended in the air and the underneath and sides are surrounded by hellfire so it is extremely hot." Damon explained and she looked stunned.

"Oh my God! Are you okay?" Caroline asked her concerned and Noelle nodded. Noelle thought it was quite sweet that Caroline was so worried about her. So did Damon.

"I've had worse punishments." She smirked. "Good thing I got laid before I went in so I had something to think about." She said and Damon chuckled and Caroline looked surprised that she would say that in front of Damon. Damon shot Caroline a look that said 'I told you so'.

"Speaking of that, are you going out with Caroline and Charlotte again tonight?" Damon asked her amused.

"I think getting so wasted I don't remember my name sounds pretty good right about now." Noelle nodded and Damon laughed.

"Want some?" Caroline offered her the bottle of vampire cocktail and Noelle smirked.

"Hell yeah." She said taking the bottle then she took a big gulp. "That's so damn good." She sighed and they laughed.

"There's bourbon on the shelf." Damon pointed next to her.

"You want to play poker with us?" Caroline asked her.

"Not really but I'll stay and drink." Noelle smiled. "I'm too traumatised to concentrate on poker." She said and Damon frowned.

"Daisy took it too far, Noelle." Damon said to her.

"I get that we shouldn't have taken Jonah to see you but talk about overkill." Noelle muttered as she grabbed the bottle of bourbon. Damon moved over on the bed so Noelle could sit down next to him and she did.

"Twelve hours maybe I could agree with if it had been just a viewer or something but the fire cell was _way_ too much." Damon said.

"Twelve hours in a viewer is nothing, Dad." Noelle said. "It's just boring." She added.

"Are there different types of cells than those two?" Caroline asked though her tone conveyed that she really didn't want to know.

"Yeah, the worst one for me I think is the sound cell." Damon nodded.

"Fuck, the sound cell is awful." Noelle shuddered.

"What's that?" Caroline asked.

"You get put in it then it's kind of like the founders day device but worse. Because of our sensitive hearing our eardrums shatter over and over again and our ears bleed and it's terrible." Damon said and Caroline's eyes widened.

"That sounds really painful." She winced and they both nodded.

"That's one of the higher level ones." Damon said. "I killed a donor once and I was put in that cell for 24 hours." Damon said and Caroline's jaw dropped.

"Then there's the ice cell. That's not _as_ bad to be honest. You freeze your ass off but at least it isn't painful." Noelle said. "There's the fear cell. The cells are all done with magic for each punishment and the fear cell is basically all your greatest fears come to life like it's playing out in front of you but when you're in the cell it's real." She said. "That one seriously creeps me the hell out." She admitted.

"Okay, that's the worst one." Damon agreed.

"What did you see?" Noelle asked him curiously.

"It was not long after you and Daniel turned and I saw you two and Charlotte being tortured and killed in front of me over and over again and there was nothing I could do to stop it." He said and her jaw dropped.

"Is that why you were extra nuts about Paul?" She asked and he shrugged.

"I would have reacted the same way regardless." He said. "But yeah, probably." He nodded. "Then there're the torture cells. They come at different levels and there are different types of torture. You get your lesser tortures like broken bones and stuff right up to the worst torture cell where it's like limb removal and organs being cut out and stuff." Damon said.

"Oh my God." Caroline said shocked.

"I've never been in any of the torture cells. Just the sound, fear, hellfire, viewer and ice cells." Damon shrugged.

"You haven't been in the sunshine cell?" Noelle asked him surprised.

"No, have you?" Damon asked her shocked.

"Yeah, once. That's a weird cell." She said.

"What's that?" Caroline asked disturbed.

"It's a cell where it's like you burn in the sun to ash then your body is magically restored back to normal then you burn in the sun all over again and so on." Noelle said.

"Oh God." Caroline gasped.

"That one's not that bad, to be honest. It doesn't hurt while your body restores so you get a little break unlike the other cells." She shrugged.

"I'm seriously terrified now." Caroline said and the two of them laughed.

"You won't end up in one, don't worry." Damon smirked.

"Yeah, you're not like Dad and I." She said amused. "We don't really give a crap if we end up in the hell dimension." She said and Damon laughed.

"True." He agreed amused.

"How could you not give a crap?" Caroline asked confused and they laughed.

"We've been vampires for a long time. A little discomfort or pain is no big deal. When you know you aren't going to die from it, it's not a big deal." Damon shrugged.

"That and sometimes it's worth it for the fun." Noelle smirked and Damon laughed.

"Let's hope Daisy doesn't make you her successor." Damon said to Noelle amused and she and Caroline laughed.

"I wouldn't want it anyway. She hardly ever has any fun. Screw that." Noelle said and Damon laughed.

"We should go on a bender in the other dimension before I ascend." Damon said to Noelle who laughed.

"Fuck yeah. We haven't done that in way too long." She agreed with a grin.

"A bender?" Caroline asked.

"Drinking, feeding and getting laid for like a straight week." Noelle said with a chuckle.

"We used to go on those all the time." Damon said amused.

"It's not weird doing that with you being father and daughter?" Caroline asked them and they laughed.

"No." Damon shook his head.

"Nah, I'm lucky to have a cool dad." Noelle said and Damon smirked at her.

"And she'd do it without me being there anyway, at least this way I can keep an eye on her." He said amused and Noelle laughed.

"Yeah, right." She said amused. "You're always as wasted if not more so than I am. What could you possibly do to keep an eye on me when you can barely see half the time?" She asked and Damon and Caroline laughed.

"You may have a point." Damon smirked. "But you're a big girl, you can take care of yourself." He shrugged.

"So does that mean you're going to come out clubbing with us here?" Caroline asked him and he shrugged.

"Yeah, but he'll have to behave in this dimension until the ascension is over. That and he won't be as wild in front of Charlotte and Daniel." Noelle said amused and Damon rolled his eyes.

"They're far more judgy than _my_ children should ever be." Damon pointed out and Noelle laughed.

"Totally." She agreed amused. "You will never believe what Char asked me last night." She said to him and he looked at her with an amused expression, knowing the kinds of things Charlotte would say. "What could I possibly like about a one night stand?" Noelle said then she laughed as did Damon.

"That is pretty funny." Damon smirked. "Why did she say that?" He asked her and she shrugged.

"I was on the prowl and she asked what I like to do on dates and I told her the less talking the better." She smirked and Damon buckled over with laughter as did Caroline.

"That's my girl." Damon nudged her amused.

"It seriously doesn't bother you hearing about that?" Caroline asked Damon with a giggle.

"Barbie, I've had well over a bottle of that cocktail stuff... Nothing really bothers me right now." He said and the girls laughed.

"Any idea where mom is? I want to yell at her." Noelle said to Damon who nodded. He wanted to yell at her too.

"She went to the other dimension to feed." He said and Noelle's jaw dropped.

"But I thought you were back together?" Noelle asked shocked.

"Noelle..." Damon started but she interrupted him.

"No! You are sitting in here in a cell after turning into a combination demon and she's busy getting laid!" Noelle yelled and Caroline looked stunned while Damon just sighed.

"Well she couldn't yesterday because of everything that was going on." Damon shrugged.

"That's not the point! The point is you're supposed to be back together!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah, but she can still sleep with whoever she wants, Noelle." Damon said to her and her jaw dropped.

"You agreed to that?" Noelle asked shocked and he shrugged.

"It's always been that way and it always will be." He replied and she blinked in surprise.

"Always? This is how she's been since you met?" Noelle asked in disbelief and he nodded.

"5000 year old habits are impossible to break. It's just unrealistic to think otherwise." He said.

"That's why you made incubus your fourth." Noelle said in realisation.

"Can we not talk about this anymore? What does it matter?" Damon asked her.

"It matters because I remember the times when you were together and you never slept with anyone else." She said and Damon sighed.

"She said that if I did it that would be cheating since I don't need to have sex to feed." Damon said and Noelle nearly fell over in shock.

"ARE YOU FUCKING JOKING?" Noelle yelled at him and he rubbed his ear closest to her.

"They could use you for the sound cell." Damon muttered. "Let it go, Noelle." He said to her and she shook her head.

"You deserve better than that, Dad. Tell her to go fuck herself." She said and Damon shot her an annoyed look.

"I know you're pissed at your mother but I don't want to hear you bad mouthing her. She's still your mother." Damon warned her and she groaned in exasperation.

"If you accept that then you're a fucking idiot." Noelle said to him and he sighed.

"What other choice do I have?" He asked her softly and she stared at him in disbelief.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked him.

"She's the mother of my children. She wants me to be her Prince. If I stop being with her, she'll just move on to someone else, start having children with someone else and eventually, I'd lose Daniel and Jonah because Daniel's already a Mama's boy and Jonah will no doubt be the same when he's older." Damon said and Noelle stared at him. She felt so heartbroken for him then. As did Caroline.

"Daniel might be a Mama's boy but he'd pick me over her and I'd tell him he'd lose me forever if you lost him." Noelle said sincerely and Damon felt really touched that his daughter loved him so much but he still found that quite embarrassing.

"Don't be so dramatic." Damon said to her. "Caroline said something earlier that is actually quite good advice. I should be happy with what I'm given instead of wishing for something else. So that's what I'm doing." He said to her.

"Was that said in relation to this conversation?" Noelle asked Caroline and she shook her head 'no'. "Exactly. Stop being a dumbass, Dad. This is not _fair_." She said to him seriously.

"Stop ruining my buzz. I'm going to end up sobering up if you keep talking about this." Damon said to his daughter.

"Fine, we'll talk about it when you're sober." She said and he rolled his eyes. He totally walked into that one.

"If it'll get you to shut up about it." He muttered.

* * *

><p>Caroline woke up with a knock on her bedroom door. She jumped out of bed and hurried over to the door and opened it only to find Noelle standing there.<p>

"Morning." Caroline smiled.

"Hey. Charlotte's going back to Boston again for work for a few hours so I'm taking Jonah into the city. Want to come?" She asked.

"Yeah, that'd be great. When do you want to go?" She asked wiping the sleep out of her eyes.

"Just whenever you're ready." Noelle shrugged.

"Cool, I'll get ready now then. Meet you in the playroom?" Caroline asked.

"Yeah, that's cool. Though my stupid mother is in there." Noelle grumbled.

"Did she tell you why she put you in the cell for so long?" Caroline asked her and Noelle looked surprised.

"No, I forgot. I'm mad at her about dad, not the cell so much." She said and Caroline nodded.

"Maybe you should tell her how you feel about that." Caroline said softly.

"No, dad would be pissed if I did that. So I'm just going to avoid her or I'll end up losing my temper with her." Noelle smirked. "Actually, I think I'll go down and see dad while you get ready." She said.

"Cool, well I'll get Jonah and bring him down. He'll want to say hi to Damon before we go." Caroline said and Noelle smiled.

"I'm happy you're here, Caroline. You just seem to fit with us all perfectly." Noelle winked then walked away leaving Caroline with a surprised smile on her face.

* * *

><p>Caroline got ready then went to the playroom. She passed two members of staff who both said 'Good morning, Satyana' to her and she smiled and greeted them back. She really kind of liked being called Satyana. She wandered into the room and before she could say a word Jonah looked at her and grinned.<p>

"Caroline!" He exclaimed happily then ran over to her and she knelt down and he threw his small arms around her neck and hugged her and she grinned and hugged him back.

"Morning, Jonah." She said and Daisy and Charlotte giggled a little at how happy Jonah was to see her.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" He asked her with a grin when he pulled away.

"I slept amazingly well. How about you?" She asked him and he smiled.

"Me too." He said and she giggled then looked at the other two women.

"Morning." She smiled at them.

"Good morning, sweetie. I think you made quite the impression." Daisy grinned at her and pointed at Jonah and Caroline laughed.

"That's just because we had so much fun doing gymnastics yesterday." She said and Jonah nodded.

"Mama, it was so fun!" Jonah said happily and Daisy noticed that Jonah hadn't been that happy about anything in quite a while. "Caroline? Are we going to do it again today?" He asked her.

"Well, Noelle said she's taking you into the city for the day." Caroline said to him.

"Are you coming with us?" Jonah asked and Daisy and Charlotte giggled at him wanting to spend time with her.

"Would you like that?" Caroline asked him with a big smile. She was still at eye level with him.

"I would like that." He replied.

"Then yes, I would love to go with you." She replied and he beamed at her.

"Where is Noelle?" Charlotte asked curiously.

"She went to see Damon so I offered to come get Jonah and take him down to say good morning before we go." Caroline replied and Daisy and Charlotte smiled at her.

"We're going to see Daddy?" Jonah grinned.

"Yeah, I was thinking we could say hi before we go into the city." Caroline nodded to him.

"How many more sleeps until Daddy can come out of the magical door?" Jonah asked Caroline and Daisy grinned at Caroline's inventiveness.

"I'm not sure. Maybe your mama would know." Caroline said to him and Jonah turned to look at his mother expectantly.

"Three or four sleeps." Daisy said to Jonah who frowned.

"That's a really long time." Jonah said sadly.

"It'll fly by." Caroline said to him. "We can do gymnastics or play games or do arts and crafts to pass the time. That and you can still see your Daddy." She said.

"Nice save." Charlotte whispered and Daisy bit her lip so she wouldn't laugh.

"That does sound fun." Jonah nodded.

"It'll be lots of fun." Caroline grinned at him. "Where's Valentina? I only saw her at dinner yesterday."

"Valley went to school." Jonah said to her. "She's not going to school tomorrow so maybe she can do gymnastics with us tomorrow." He said and Caroline smiled.

"I might even teach you that cheerleading cheer to annoy your dad tomorrow." Caroline winked at him and Daisy and Charlotte laughed loudly and little Jonah giggled.

"Please tell him that. I really want to know what he says." Charlotte grinned.

"I'm sure it'll be something extra colourful." Caroline giggled.

* * *

><p>Caroline said bye to Daisy and Charlotte and when Jonah was ready he surprised her by walking up to her and holding his arms up. Daisy and Charlotte were <em>really<em> surprised as Jonah rarely wanted lifted but Caroline wasn't one to ever say no to a child so she picked him up then she walked them down to Damon's cell. When they got to the door, Caroline motioned for Jonah.

"Daddy?" Jonah called and Damon appeared at the door.

"Morning, Jojo." He smiled.

"Morning, Daddy!" Jonah grinned. Damon noticed that Jonah was sitting on Caroline's hip again and he was holding on to the back of her neck so obviously didn't want to be put down. "Guess what?" Jonah asked him and Caroline giggled knowing what he was going to say.

"What?" Damon smirked.

"Valley isn't going to school tomorrow so Caroline is going to teach us a cheerleading cheer." Jonah said and Damon deadpanned while Caroline shook with laughter. Noelle laughed loudly at that as she came to the door behind Damon then stepped out in the hall only to see Damon's expression – which only made her laugh louder.

"Why?" Damon asked nobody in particular.

"To annoy you." Caroline smirked and Noelle laughed as did Jonah. Damon couldn't help a little chuckle at that.

"Excellent." Noelle grinned. She was highly amused at the interaction between Caroline and Damon. She didn't think she'd ever met anyone outside of the family that had the guts to do and say the things she said to Damon.

"Then we'll come show you." Jonah said to him and Damon laughed a little.

"You do that." He said amused. "Jonah? You remember that thing I told you to do when I want to say something you shouldn't hear?" He asked and Caroline and Noelle laughed. Jonah put his hands over his ears which only made the girls laugh louder. "Can you not turn my son into a little girl, please?" Damon asked her and she laughed. Damon saw her eyes sparkle mischievously and she turned to look at Jonah who then removed his hands.

"I just had an idea, Jonah. Don't you think it would be so fun if Daddy learned the cheer too?" She asked him and Noelle buckled over with laughter and had to hold onto the wall in the hall to keep herself from falling over. Jonah grinned at her while Damon stared at her in shock and disbelief.

"That would be so fun!" Jonah exclaimed and Damon groaned. "Daddy? Would you? Please?" Jonah asked him with wide innocent eyes that he couldn't say no to.

"I swear there's a stake with your name on it." Damon said to Caroline and she laughed.

"Yes, Damon. I know." She said and Noelle was still laughing hysterically. Noelle couldn't believe Caroline had done that.

"Dad cheering! HAHAHA!" Noelle managed to get out.

"Traitor." Damon said to his daughter who only laughed _louder_.

"Daddy? What's a traitor?" Jonah asked curiously.

"Noelle." Damon replied and Caroline laughed while Jonah looked confused.

"Maybe we can get some pompoms today." Caroline said amused and Damon paled. "What colour do you think your daddy would suit?" She asked Jonah who thought about it and Noelle was still in hysterics.

"Pink or green." Jonah said and Damon's jaw dropped.

"Jonah? Girls do cheerleading. Boys don't." Damon said to Jonah who shook his head.

"No, Daddy. Caroline told me that boys do cheerleading too." Jonah said to him in reply and Caroline and Noelle were still laughing while Damon just couldn't pick a facial expression.

"I need to get drunk." Damon muttered.


	11. Righting the Wrong

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

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><p><strong>AN: Sorry I took so long! :( This chapter is for inkprincess31 because the last review was EPIC :D I hope you enjoy it!**

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><p>His Secrets<p>

Chapter 11

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><p>Damon was furious and shocked and outraged and annoyed and grumpy and honestly? Kind of amused. Cheerleading. What. The. Fuck. He was lying on his bed in his little cell staring at the ceiling as he thought over everything. Just like he had been since Daisy appeared with the two youngest kids when he was still dying of the wolf bite. He felt so many things about so many things. That wasn't all that common for him so he wasn't sure how to deal with all of it yet.<p>

The thing he was most happy about was Noelle. In just a few days, it was like they'd never been apart. He _adored _his daughter and he was sure that she was the only person he'd ever known that _completely_ understood him. She just got him. She knew him inside out. In some ways that was amazing and in others, it really bugged him. With Noelle around, he never had a private thought because she'd always been able to read him like a book. With their relationship back, he realised just how much he'd really missed her. He'd missed her more than anything else he'd ever missed in his life – his daughter who was also his very best friend in the world. She really was the light of his life and _no_ she was not his favourite. He didn't do favourites. He had truly meant that when he explained it to Bonnie. His children were all his favourites in different ways. They were all so special to him.

He really missed Valentina though. He hadn't seen her too much since she was at school or doing homework, though Daisy had brought her down for a couple of brief visits here and there since he was put in the cell. Valley was _not_ pleased about not crossing the barrier and he'd had to tell her off for giving her mother attitude again – but he found it difficult not being able to kiss her head and tell her he wasn't actually mad. He hated having her and Jonah so close but just out of reach at the same time.

Jonah – where to start with the little monkey? Jonah was always on Damon's mind. Damon worried for the little boy something awful. He was... just so different from other children. Damon was worried that he'd have a hard time later when he eventually went to school. Jonah liked things done a certain way and was just so... special. Although Damon was kind of horrified at the thought of him learning cheerleading, he _was_ pleased about Caroline being able to get him outside to play instead of being cooped up in his room with legos. Damon understood that legos where educational for him and were a good stimulus but at the end of the day – Damon was raised in the 1800s so he was of the opinion that children should be outside playing and learning instead of being indoors constantly. Damon couldn't wait to get out of the cell and take Jonah places in the dark dimension and do things with him and spend _real_ time with him. He'd been stunned at how Jonah took to Caroline so easily – though he felt he kind of shouldn't have been surprised considering she was Caroline.

Caroline. That was a whole big bag of problems he wasn't ready to deal with yet. His _whole_ family loved her. She was so nice. She made him laugh. She was the highlight of Damon's day now and considering he'd seen Jonah every day too – that freaked him the fuck out. He _really_ regretted Caroline being in the dark dimension. He _really_ regretted telling her about his kids. He _really _regretted her being his Satyana. He _really_ regretted... getting back together with Daisy.

He winced as that thought. No, dammit. He was back together with Daisy. With the mother of his children. He was ascending for her. He moved to a different dimension for her.

Daisy. Daisy. Daisy.

"Dammit." Damon muttered.

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><p>Noelle, Caroline and Jonah were in the city exploring and they were having a great time together. They went into shops, took Jonah to the play park, looked at some of the sights and Caroline and Noelle were getting along swimmingly. Jonah was asking questions about everything and it was obvious that he was enjoying having interaction with his big sister and his new friend Caroline. He told Noelle that Caroline was his first friend and she saw how much that meant to her little brother.<p>

"Noelle!" They heard when they were on their way back to the little ice cream place they'd spotted earlier. They turned around to see Daniel hurrying over to them with a guy who was one of the most attractive looking guys Caroline had ever seen. He was tall with dark blonde hair and grey eyes.

"Hi, Daniel!" Jonah grinned at his big brother and Daniel kissed his head since he was currently sitting on Noelle's hip because he was a little tired from walking all day.

"Hey, bud." Daniel replied with a smile.

"Hey." Noelle said casually to the two guys. "Thought you were hiding in your room?" Noelle smirked at her brother who rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, Noelle." Daniel said then turned to Caroline and smiled. "Nice to see you again, Caroline." He said and she smiled.

"You too, Daniel." She replied.

"This is my friend Chris. Chris, Caroline." He said and Chris gave her a shy smile. Although he didn't look it, he was kind of geeky like Daniel so he wasn't exactly suave with women.

"Hi, Caroline." He said then held out his hand. She took his hand and smiled back.

"Hi, Chris." She replied and Noelle did not look pleased. She saw them totally eyeing each other up. She was going to ring her brother's neck.

"Daniel, we're going to get ice cream. Can you come too?" Jonah smiled happily and Noelle wanted to roll her eyes at her little brother.

"Of course." Daniel smiled at him and was surprised at the glare he got from his sister but didn't say anything. He was kind of worried about it. He hated when Noelle was mad at him.

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><p>A couple of hours later in the early afternoon, Damon heard a noise and looked up to see his son coming through the door.<p>

"Hey, dude." Damon said and Daniel smiled then walked over to him. Damon could see something was wrong with him but he was trying to cover it. Damon moved over on the bed and Daniel flopped down beside him. "What's up?" Damon asked him concerned.

"Noelle's really pissed at me but she won't tell me why." He sighed and Damon chuckled.

"She's not pissed at _you_ dude. She's pissed at Daisy and she's just taking it out on you because you let her. Tell her to piss off and she'll let up." He said and Daniel nodded. "You alright after the cell?" Damon asked him concerned. Noelle was over it after a drinking session but he knew that wouldn't be enough for Daniel. He knew Daniel would be affected by it.

"Dad, that was so fucked up. I get that taking Jonah down to see you was really stupid but honestly? That cell was terrifying." He admitted in a small voice and Damon felt even more furious at Daisy over it. Daniel wasn't like him and Noelle. Daniel was sensitive when it came to stuff like that.

"Daisy was really wrong to put you in that." Damon said to him sincerely. "I had no idea. If I'd known I would have talked her out of it." He promised. He felt really guilty about not talking to Daisy about it before he transitioned.

"I thought you were furious at us over it." Daniel said surprised.

"I was. I still kind of am but my plan was to yell at the two of you. Not punish you in the hell dimension." He said and Daniel sighed.

"You know I love mom but sometimes I just... don't want to come here. I love the dark dimension but at the same time... it's a scary place to live." He said and Damon nodded. He was right. Daniel was completely affected. He was worried about Noelle's 'scarred for life' assessment of her brother.

"I know that, son. If you want to tone down how much you come here, I'll come visit you whenever you want in the other dimension." Damon promised and Daniel smiled at his dad.

"Thanks, Dad. That means a lot." He said and Damon smirked.

"Besides – paid donors aren't exactly my number one choice for a drink." He said and Daniel chuckled. "So we haven't talked too much in the last month, what is it exactly you've been doing up in Canada?" He asked. He wasn't _exactly _into all the science crap like Daniel was but he was always interested in what his boy was up to.

"You know I took that quantum mechanics course earlier in the year?" Daniel asked and Damon nodded. "I was at the Perimeter Institute in Waterloo to further that study then I got into this little experimentation group and we set up a lab to investigate different principles of relativity and it was really interesting actually." He explained and Damon smiled. His son was so damn smart and it made him so proud. Daniel rambled on about the experiments for a little while and Damon didn't know much about physics so he didn't know about all of what Daniel was talking about but he listened anyway because Daniel sounded so excited about it all.

"You sound like you really loved it. Are you going back there then?" Damon asked and he sighed.

"I don't know yet." He admitted. "Noelle wants to live here now that you live here and I promised her I'd live with her when the project was over because she's sick of travelling at the moment but I don't know if I want to live here." He said.

"Daniel, what do you really want to talk to me about?" Damon asked cocking an eyebrow. His son never just got to the point.

"Now that you and Noelle are back to being buds again... could you maybe talk to her for me?" Daniel asked.

"About what?" Damon asked concerned. Noelle didn't make Daniel's life a picnic. She loved her brother to death but she was kind of bossy and he'd never learned how to stand up to her.

"Well... I'm 82 years old and you know that I want to get a teaching job and settle down with someone and I know I always say that I've found the right girl then I find out I haven't... but I _want_ to find the right girl, Dad." He said softly. "I want to get married and get mom to make it possible for us to have kids and I want to just... settle down." He admitted. "But... I _love_ my sister. She's my whole world. I don't want to lose her but she'll think I'm trying to replace her or I won't have time for her... but nobody could ever replace Noelle and I will _always_ have time for her." He said and Damon understood where he was coming from. He felt kind of heartbroken for his son if he was being entirely honest.

"Can't you just tell her what you just told me?" Damon asked him.

"She doesn't listen to me, Dad. You know what she's like. The only person she _ever_ listens to is you and even at that it's selectively unless you make her listen." He said and Damon chuckled. That was _too _true.

"You have to remember, Daniel... you're the only person she's always had. She fights with Daisy constantly and we didn't talk for over twenty years and Charlotte doesn't get her... it's always just been you. You have to understand that even though she's tough and she can be a bit of a bitch and a total pain in the ass... you have to know that Noelle is sensitive underneath it all. She can be incredibly fragile deep down. If you sit her down and tell her you love her and she'll always mean everything to you but you want a chance at finding someone to love and having your own life, she will understand." Damon said and Daniel nodded.

"I just don't want to lose her." He admitted.

"You will _never_ lose Noelle, no matter what you do. But you're right, you _are_ 82. Don't you think it's about time you stood up to your _little_ sister?" Damon smirked and Daniel chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I guess you have a point." He nodded.

"Thought I can't _believe_ you want to make me a grandfather." Damon muttered and Daniel laughed. "You can't tell _anyone _that if you do, by the way. I'm Uncle Damon to your kids, got it?" He asked and Daniel laughed.

"You got it, Dad." He smiled. Daniel always felt better about things after talking to his dad.

"When did you see Noelle anyway?" Damon asked curiously.

"Chris and I bumped into her in town. She was out with Jonah and Caroline." He replied and Damon nodded.

"Did you hang out with them or just say hi?" He asked.

"We went for ice cream because Jonah wanted to then we hung out a little which Chris was into because he was totally macking on Caroline." He said and Damon blinked in surprise.

"Which one is Chris again?" Damon asked curiously.

"You met him last year at my graduation, remember?" He asked and Damon nodded. Oh he remembered alright. Tall, blonde, gorgeous. Damon now _hated_ him.

"Remember she's my Satyana." Damon said to him and Daniel looked at him in surprise.

"What do you mean?" He asked confused.

"Well, if he fucks her over I'll throw him in the hell dimension so you might want to warn him." Damon said and Daniel nodded.

"Don't worry, Dad. Chris is a really nice guy. He wouldn't do that." Daniel said. Now Damon hated the guy even more. His son was _thankfully_ totally dumb when it came to things like this so he had taken Damon's warning from like a 'friend' point of view instead of him just being a jealous tit. He was so _angry_ for being jealous... but he kind of couldn't help it because Barbie made the sun shine.

"Well... good." Damon said though internally he was thinking of ways to get rid of this guy without getting time in the hell dimension for killing a citizen. He didn't think that would go down well at his ascension.

"Noelle's going to bring Jonah and Valley down after dinner to see you." Daniel said.

"Good." Damon replied.

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><p>Daniel stayed a short while longer then he went away to get ready to see his friends. He wasn't gone ten minutes when Daisy appeared. She walked right in with a smile.<p>

"Hey, sweetie." She said as she walked over to him and perched on the side of the bed.

"Don't 'hey, sweetie' me." Damon snapped at her and her surprise was evident at his tone.

"What's wrong?" She asked confused.

"What's wrong?" He asked her in disbelief. "Are you out of your royal mind?" Damon asked her angrily. "You put Daniel and Noelle in hellfire cells for twelve fucking hours!" Damon yelled at her and she sighed.

"What they did was wrong." She said and he nodded.

"It was. But it also didn't happen in this dimension so you had no right to do that to them. A viewer, fair enough, but a hellfire cell?" He asked in shock. "Daniel had _never_ been in the hell dimension before! He's totally traumatised and doesn't want to be in this dimension anymore thanks to you!" He exclaimed and she looked shocked.

"What?" She asked confused.

"He is _sensitive,_ Daisy. You of all people should know that since he tells you everything. He is _afraid_ of this place now." Damon said to her angrily and she looked like she'd been slapped.

"He's... afraid?" He asked in a small voice. She hadn't meant to make him _fear_ her and she was completely floored at the fact her son was now scared of her. She never wanted that.

"Have you ever been in a hellfire cell?" Damon asked her straight out and she looked surprised.

"Of course not, I'm the queen." She said like it was obvious and Damon nodded.

"Go in one." He said to her and her jaw dropped.

"What?" She asked shocked.

"What you did to our kids was _way_ out of line and Noelle is beyond angry at you and honestly I think Daniel is afraid of you now. Go in a hellfire cell. Show them what you did was way out of line." He said deadpan and she looked stunned.

"You can't be serious." She said and he nodded.

"You are supposed to be the saviour of the dark dimension. You brought order to the chaos. You made a fucking utopia here... But you can't even see what you did was wrong." He said to her disappointed. "You are supposed to be the fair queen. The _just _queen. That punishment wasn't fair nor was is just." Damon added.

"So... what? You want me to lock myself in a hellfire cell because I was too strict?" She asked confused.

"No. I want you to lock yourself in a hellfire cell because what you did wasn't strict. It was downright cruel and they are our _children_. There was no court to hear them out, there was no public hearing, nothing. You just tossed them in there because of a _family_ matter. You are NOT the queen when it comes to family matters. You are their mother for Christ's sake. So as their father, I'm telling you to go and see what that punishment is like. I want you to experience it so that you know what you're doing next time you decide to overreact." He said and she looked at him shocked.

"You're serious." She said and he nodded.

"Completely." He replied and she sighed.

"Alright. I'll have a hellfire cell set up in the dungeon. I can't have dignitaries finding out about this." She said.

"That's fine. But you _will_ tell our twins that you're sorry, you took it too far and you're taking the consequences. Show them _you_ know what consequences are too." He said.

"Okay, Damon. You're right. I do always try to be fair and I wasn't." She said and Damon was pleased she was taking responsibility. "Can I at least have a kiss first?" She asked and he smirked then he kissed her.

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><p>Damon was lying on his stomach reading when the twins turned up at his cell. Charlotte had brought Jonah and Valentina down for a visit after dinner and he'd enjoyed seeing the three of them. Charlotte informed him that Caroline was out on a date with Chris and Damon had kind of gathered that considering she hadn't been around so he just shrugged like he didn't care and asked about her job in Boston and she told him all about how the main editor quit and things were just a nightmare. He nodded like he was listening but internally, he was really conflicted. He didn't know what the hell he was going to do.<p>

"Dad?" He looked up to see Noelle and Daniel standing there.

"Hey, what's up?" He asked them. He was surprised to see them as Daniel was supposed to be going out with his friends and Noelle was usually going on a night out.

"Mom came and gave us some long winded speech a couple of hours ago about consequences and how she wasn't fair and she was going to take _your_ idea of a punishment for it." Noelle said to him confused.

"What was she talking about?" Daniel asked looking for an explanation.

"I told her she was way out of line and completely unfair and told her to go experience it for herself." Damon replied flippantly. He was happy she was doing this to prove she was wrong but it didn't erase the fact that his twins had it done to them first when they didn't deserve it.

"Experience what?" Noelle asked sceptically.

"Your mother is currently in a hellfire cell for a twelve hour punishment." Damon shrugged and both of their jaws dropped. They were _shocked_.

"What?" They both exclaimed at the same time.

"It'll be good for her. All powerful queens need their own asses kicked once in a while." He replied and they both looked like they might fall over in shock.

"You _told_ her to go into a hellfire cell?" Noelle asked in disbelief.

"Mmhmm." Damon nodded.

"And she went?" Daniel asked shocked.

"Mmhmm. You two might have majorly pissed us off by what you did but your punishment did not fit the crime at _all_. That was a family matter but she dealt with it as your queen and not as your mother. I simply pointed that out to her. So, when she's done in there, we're all going to be all good, right?" Damon asked them and they looked stunned.

"Thanks, Dad." Noelle said. "For sticking up for us like that." She added and he smirked.

"You might be 82 years old but you're still my little Nonnie and Danny and you always will be. _Nobody_ fucks with you. Ever." He winked at them and they both smiled at him the way they used to when they were kids. The smile that showed how much they loved him.

"I love you, Daddy." Noelle grinned. "Though you need to stop with the Nonnie." She warned and he chuckled.

"When you were little you loved that nickname." He countered and she chuckled.

"Yeah, but I'm not little anymore." She replied and he smiled.

"In my head the two of you are still like five years old so you'll just have to deal with it, Nonnie." He winked at her and she rolled her eyes while Daniel laughed.

"Well since you see us as kids, can we watch a movie together like when we were kids?" Noelle asked and both Damon and Daniel were surprised at that considering she always wanted to snuggle in between them when she was little. She'd always wanted her big brother and her dad to protect her when she was little. Since Daisy had been gone a lot when they were children, Noelle always dragged Daniel into their Dad's room to sleep next to him so the monsters couldn't get them and she always slept in the middle. They hadn't done that in years but Noelle just wanted to. She didn't know why.

"Yeah, but we can still have booze right?" Damon asked with a smirk and she smiled. Damon understood that she just wanted her brother and her dad and he would never deny her that.

"Yeah, obviously, Dad." She smirked back. Noelle kicked off her shoes and climbed up in Damon's bed under the covers in the middle while Damon and Daniel looked over the DVDs. They hadn't done this in decades and Noelle couldn't wait. She could be young in front of her dad and brother. They were who she trusted most.

"What are you in the mood for, Noelle?" Daniel asked.

"The Nightmare Before Christmas." She said immediately.

"Really? Why?" Damon asked surprised.

"The first time I saw it I thought if we ever did this again that it should be that." She said and Damon nodded to her then Daniel found the movie. Daisy had like every movie ever made put in the room so it was there. Daniel set up the player while Damon grabbed three bottles of whiskey then the boys climbed in on either side of her just as the movie started. Damon handed them the bottles and Noelle couldn't have looked happier. Damon and Daniel shared a happy look at getting to spend time with Noelle like this when the walls were down and she was just being the sweet Noelle she was when she was a child. Daniel sent a text to his friends to cancel his plans because there was no way he was missing this.

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><p>The three of them ended up watching movies all night and half way through the fourth one, Daniel fell asleep. Noelle was lying on Damon's arm on her side next to him with her head on his chest and it wasn't long before Daniel rolled onto his side and snuggled into her back. Damon chuckled a little at the sight as it was just like when they were kids only they were bigger now. Noelle just looked very young for a moment when Daniel did that.<p>

"Looks like you're staying." Damon whispered to her amused and she smiled softly.

"As if we were leaving anyway." She replied and he chuckled then kissed her head. "I really missed you, Dad." She said and he peered down at her. She was looking up at him through her ice blue eyes that were exactly like his.

"You have no idea how much I missed you too, Nonnie." He said and she playfully smacked his chest for the name but didn't stop smiling. "Get some sleep. You look like you need it." He said softly and she nodded. He used the remote to turn the TV off and it wasn't long before Noelle was fast asleep snuggled into his chest. Damon looked over at his two kids who were fast asleep in their Dad's bed. It was like déjà vu for Damon. Part of him didn't want to sleep because it wasn't often that he could even _be_ their dad anymore. They were 82 years old. They didn't need their dad anymore so tiny moments like these were special. He lay awake for a little while and just listened to his vampire children breathing unnecessary breath. That eventually lulled him to sleep.

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><p>Daisy wandered down to Damon's cell just after 4am when she got out of the hellfire cell. She walked in quietly and smiled widely at the sight. She hadn't seen <em>that<em> for decades. She crept around the bed and touched Damon's arm softly and his eyes fluttered open. He smiled at the sight of her.

"Now this is something I haven't walked in on in a very long time." She whispered with a smile.

"Jump in behind Daniel." Damon whispered back as the bed was huge like all the other ones. She looked kind of worried for a moment.

"Think they'll be okay with that?" Daisy asked softly and Damon smiled and nodded.

"Everything's fine, Dais." He replied. She walked back around to the other side and silently slipped her shoes off then climbed in gently behind Daniel. Daniel stirred then turned his head.

"Mom?" He said sleepily and her face betrayed how truly sorry she was.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart." She said to him and he turned around and hugged her.

"Are you okay?" He asked her softly and Damon chuckled a little at that. She was 5000 years old. Half a day in a hellfire cell would be nothing in comparison to some things but his son was just so kind.

"Are we okay?" She replied and he nodded against her neck. "Then I'm okay." She said and he pulled away and smiled.

"Then get some sleep. You look tired, Mom." He said and she nodded. He turned back around and hugged back into Noelle and Daisy hugged into him and in no time the three of them were just as fast asleep as Noelle.


	12. Don't Piss Off The Satyana

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

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><p><strong>AN: So this chapter ended up far longer than expected but I hope you like it! I was asked for more Damon/Caroline interaction and if you see my story list, you know I'm happy to oblige any Daroline fans out there ;) Also, if you check out my profile you'll see roughly what I imagine Jonah to look like.**

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><p>His Secrets<p>

Chapter 12

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><p>Caroline woke up the next morning and she realised that it was her fourth day in the Dark Dimension and she hadn't called Bonnie back. She'd left her phone in her room because she was having so much fun. She checked her phone and she had tons of missed calls and texts from Bonnie, Elena and her mother. She decided to call Bonnie first.<p>

"_Caroline! Why haven't you called me back?_" Bonnie practically screeched down the phone and Caroline giggled.

"I'm sorry, Bon! I've just been having so much fun that I forgot to check my phone." Caroline admitted and Bonnie was shocked. Caroline was always on her phone.

"_Really? So you like the Dark Dimension?_" Bonnie asked.

"Oh, Bonnie... this place... this is the most incredible place imaginable. Damon was right when he described it as utopia. It's so amazing, Bon." Caroline said.

"_What's so amazing about it?_" Bonnie asked curiously.

"Everything. I wouldn't know where to start. Damon's family are amazing. The palace is amazing. The city is amazing. The people here are so incredibly amazing. Clubbing here is out of this world. Food and drinks are incredible. The guys are so hot. The shopping is like a dream. It's so clean and safe here Bonnie. I think if you came here you'd see what I mean. You'll never want to go home. I'm living here permanently now." Caroline said and Bonnie gasped.

"_I thought you were going to Boston?_" Bonnie asked shocked.

"Not anymore. I'm staying." Caroline said.

"_Damon's okay with that?_" Bonnie asked curiously.

"I'm the Royal Satyana. It's my right to live here if I choose to. But yeah, he's fine with it. He's really different now. He's really different around his family." Caroline said. "Well, I guess your family too." Caroline corrected.

"_My family... I never thought of it that way before._" Bonnie admitted.

"You should come here, Bon. That way you can live in the most incredible place ever and be around family." Caroline said.

"_Could_ _I even live there?_" Bonnie asked and Caroline giggled.

"You're a princess, Bonnie. Of course you can live here." Caroline said like she was stupid.

"_A princess?_" Bonnie asked in disbelief.

"Well, yeah. Daisy said that you're a princess to the Dark Dimension so you can be here whenever you want to." Caroline said. "You have to be at the ascension too." She added.

"_Yeah, I remember Daisy saying that but I didn't know she considers me a princess._" Bonnie said shocked.

"Well think about it. Daisy is the queen so her daughter would be a princess as would hers as would hers and so on. So yeah, you're Princess Bonnie." Caroline giggled.

"_That's... weird... and kind of amazing all at once._" Bonnie chuckled and Caroline smiled.

"You would love it here, you know." Caroline said softly.

"_I really want to visit actually._" Bonnie admitted.

"I'll tell Daisy when I see her later. You can think about when you want to come." Caroline said.

"_Cool. What have you been doing?_" She asked.

"I've been spending a lot of time with Noelle and Charlotte and they are so awesome. Jonah is just the sweetest little child and I swear I'd kidnap him and keep him if I could." She giggled and Bonnie laughed at that. "So I've just been hanging out with everyone, partying, shopping and I went on a date last night with Daniel's friend, Chris." Caroline smiled.

"_A date already?_" Bonnie asked surprised.

"Yeah, it was fun. He took me to this amazing restaurant. He's so hot, Bonnie. Like 'Oh my God' hot. Though, he's a little geekier than I'm used to, but he's really nice so it makes up for that." Caroline giggled.

"_Are you going out again?_" Bonnie asked.

"Yeah, tomorrow night." Caroline replied. "Noelle and Charlotte have a lot of really hot guy friends too, Bon. You could take your pick." Caroline giggled as did Bonnie.

"_So you're really getting along with Damon's kids?_" Bonnie asked.

"Oh, yeah. They're great. I haven't spent much time with Daniel yet but he's always nice whenever I do see him. I've spent most of my time with Damon, Jonah, Noelle and Charlotte since Valentina's in school." She explained.

"_You've been spending time with Damon?_" Bonnie asked surprised.

"Yeah, he's trapped in a cell so I went in to hang out with him and I've taken Jonah down to see him too. We played poker and drank. It was fun." She smiled.

"_Caroline._" Bonnie said concerned.

"What?" Caroline asked innocently.

"_Tell me you're not starting to like Damon._" Bonnie said.

"What? No, of course not. That's ridiculous. Where would you get that idea?" Caroline rushed and Bonnie sighed.

"_Wow. You like him already._" Bonnie said and Caroline's eyes widened.

"What? No, I don't. Just as a friend." She said and Bonnie chuckled.

"_Oh, Care. What are we going to do with you?_" Bonnie asked fondly and Caroline sighed.

"I know it's stupid, Bon. I'll get over it. He's just so... That's why I said I'd go out with Chris again. I need to like someone else." Caroline said.

"_I'll come visit and get your mind off it._" Bonnie chuckled.

"Thanks, Bonnie. I miss you, you know." Caroline said happily.

* * *

><p>Noelle was a total little eavesdropper. So when she happened to walk past Caroline's room and overheard her on the phone she couldn't really help herself. Caroline didn't use the soundproof button so Noelle could hear through the door. She listened in when Caroline told Bonnie about the Dark Dimension and her date. She was kind of dismayed to hear that Caroline found him so attractive... until she heard Bonnie say that Caroline liked Damon. Caroline's panicked denial was so <em>obvious<em> then she finally admitted that's why she went out with Chris. Noelle was totally _grinning_ at that. Now she just had to go pester her dad.

* * *

><p>Noelle walked into the cell with a rather devious expression. Damon cocked an eyebrow at her expression as nothing good ever came out of Noelle looking at him like that.<p>

"See whatever it is... just don't." Damon said and Noelle smirked.

"Apparently you'll throw Chris in the hell dimension if he fucks with _your_ Satyana." Noelle teased and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Daniel totally told you that out of context." Damon muttered and she laughed.

"Doesn't change the fact that you totally like _your_ Satyana." She grinned at him and he scowled at her.

"I do not like her." He said annoyed and Noelle chuckled.

"Anyone else might believe you, Dad, but not me. I know you better than anyone. Even after twenty years of hardly any contact." She smiled as she sat down next to where he lay on the bed staring at the ceiling.

"Just stop talking about this, Noelle. It's ridiculous." He said annoyed and she laughed.

"Dad, tell you what? You just _admit_ it and I'll stop. I won't tell anyone. You know you can always tell me anything. Just admit it to me and I'll quit bugging you about it." She said and he glared at her.

"There's nothing to admit." He said and she rolled her eyes.

"Guess you don't want to know what I heard her tell the witch then." Noelle said absently and she noticed Damon trying his best to look like he couldn't care less but she'd known him a long time. He sighed.

"I can't admit it, Noelle. Don't you understand that?" He asked her and she saw that he was obviously worried about it. She took his hand then.

"Dad, you know that Mom can't give you what you want. You know her eyes wander more than anyone we've ever met combined. I love Mom, but she's never going to be able to truly be with you. She just _can't_. I'm sure she wants to and she will try to but she _can't_. You know that deep down too." She said softly squeezing his hand and he just moved his head to stare at the ceiling.

"So what do I do then, Noelle? I'm not exactly a 'catch' now that I'm this. I have five kids with two different mothers, I'm married to the queen of the dark dimension and can _never_ stop being married to her, I'm about to have an ascension and then I'll be tied to the Dark Dimension forever until my death... what kind of woman is going to put up with that?" Damon asked her dryly and she smiled.

"Caroline knows all of that and likes you anyway." Noelle said and he turned his head to look at her.

"I also fed on her and compelled her and tried to kill her." Damon mumbled.

"And she's still here. She's seen you at your worst. She knows about your 'baggage'. I overheard her tell Bonnie that your family is amazing and she was talking about how much she likes us all and it's totally obvious anyway. And if you saw your son with her, you'd totally melt. Jonah told like _everyone_ we met yesterday that Caroline is his friend and he _wanted_ her to pick him up and stuff. You know he doesn't like to be picked up. You also know that I don't like a lot of people but I think she's amazing. Charlotte loves her too. Oh and she's going on a second date with that Chris guy in the hopes she'll like him instead of you." Noelle smirked and Damon looked at her surprised.

"You really shouldn't be eavesdropping, Noelle. The fact you're repeating what you heard is kind of a dick move too." He pointed out and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm not going to tell anyone _else _what she said. Dad, stop being a dumbass. Did you hear anything I just said?" She asked him annoyed.

"If you drop it and don't bring it up again... I'll think about it." He said and she smiled. "But don't talk to your siblings or her about it. And for God's sake don't mention this to Daisy." He warned and she smiled.

"I'll agree if you just admit it." She grinned and he rolled his eyes.

"Fine... I kind of like Barbie." He mumbled and she beamed at him.

"Awesome." She said happily and he shot her a look. "End of discussion." She said and he chuckled.

"You're a brat." He said amused and she laughed.

"You know you love me anyway." She said in a sugary sweet tone and he chuckled.

"Yeah, I know." He smirked.

"The plan is that Caroline is going to bring Jonah and Valley down to see you then she's going to do some gymnastics with them up in the garden. Jonah hasn't stopped talking about learning a cheer and being cool like his friend Caroline." Noelle giggled and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Can't you just tell her not to teach them cheers?" Damon asked annoyed.

"That's just in case Jonah wants to do it with you, huh?" Noelle teased and he scowled at her.

"I am _not_ doing cheers." Damon warned and she laughed loudly.

"Even if Jonah makes the 'Jonah' face?" She asked amused and he scowled at nothing in particular. He would have to work extra hard so Jonah's 'Jonah' face didn't change his mind.

"I'll just have to deal with him being disappointed with me then. I'm not fucking doing it." He muttered and she laughed.

"But it would be so funny!" She exclaimed and he sighed.

"Seriously, shut up, Nonnie." He said and she laughed.

* * *

><p>Charlotte ended up taking the kids down to see Damon instead of Caroline as she wanted to go talk to Daisy. One of the members of staff escorted her to the Queen's office and she knocked on the door.<p>

"Come in." Daisy called and Caroline opened the door. Daisy looked up from some papers and smiled widely at the sight of Caroline. "Good morning, sweetie." She said.

"Good morning." Caroline smiled back.

"Come, have a seat." Daisy motioned for her and Caroline did. "Is everything okay?" She asked concerned.

"Yeah, absolutely, I just wanted to ask you something. Nothing to worry about." Caroline replied.

"Go ahead." Daisy smiled. She was very fond of the young vampire already.

"I was talking to Bonnie earlier and she'd really like to come visit so I just wanted to ask you how she can do that." Caroline said and Daisy seemed very pleased by that.

"Bonnie is welcome here anytime. I'll give her my number so she can call me to come get her whenever she wants to come. I can go pick her up wherever she is because she is of my blood." She said and Caroline smiled.

"Are you free to pick her up tonight?" Caroline asked.

"Yes, absolutely. I have a meeting in the afternoon but I can pick her up at say around 6pm tonight?" Daisy asked.

"That's amazing. I'll call her and ask her to be ready for then." She said.

"Excellent. I have to say I'm quite looking forward to getting to know her better. I'll have a hellhound ready for her arrival and a credits key if you want to fill her in on that." Daisy said happily.

"I'll let her know." Caroline smiled.

"My children are a little bit in love with you, you know." Daisy said to her fondly and Caroline blushed.

"Noelle and Charlotte are just so wonderful and Jonah... he's something else entirely." Caroline smiled. "I'm really looking forward to getting to know Valentina better today actually and apparently I'm hanging out with Noelle and Daniel tonight so I'll get a chance to get to know him better too. It's really great here, Daisy. I feel like I never want to leave." She admitted and Daisy smiled.

"I'm glad you like it here Caroline. You can stay for as long as you like. As the Satyana, you can stay here forever if you choose to." Daisy said sincerely. "Do you want to have a look at the apartments or do you like your room?" She asked.

"I love my room. To be honest I've been showering twice a day just so I can use that incredible shower." She said and Daisy laughed.

"They are quite cool, huh?" Daisy smiled. "Have you tried the Jacuzzi yet?" She asked.

"The tub in my room?" Caroline asked curiously.

"No, if you follow the main staircase up one floor then turn right at the top and continue down that corridor, you'll find the big Jacuzzi tub. It's _amazing_." Daisy grinned and Caroline chuckled.

"I'll definitely be trying that." She smiled.

"You should, it's awesome. Then across from the Jacuzzi is the indoor pool if you like to swim." She said.

"I do love to swim." She smiled. "Can Jonah swim?" She asked curiously and Daisy was quite touched that Caroline instantly thought of it as an activity to do with him.

"He isn't very skilled at it as yet because the nanny never took him so he's only really been when Damon took him or Charlotte did. If you want to take him, he needs to have the armbands on." Daisy explained and Caroline nodded.

"I have lifeguard training because I used to take my little cousin swimming. I'll be careful with him." She smiled.

"I don't doubt that. He's very fond of you already. Jonah doesn't take to people easily so I have no qualms about him spending time with you if you like his company." Daisy smiled back.

"I love kids to be honest and Jonah is so special. He reminds me of my little cousin, Sam, so spending time with him is great." Caroline said and Daisy saw the sadness in her eyes.

"What happened?" Daisy asked curiously. Caroline really didn't want to say it out loud and Daisy was surprised when Caroline held her hand out to her. Daisy understood that it was obviously difficult for Caroline to talk about so Daisy took her hand and read Caroline's memories and thoughts about Sam. She saw the little boy and Caroline playing together often. She saw how much Caroline adored him, how she used to call and _ask_ to babysit him just because she thought he was so special. She saw how Sam looked up to her and asked her questions about everything and how she always had time for him no matter how busy she was with other things. She saw the day Caroline found out Sam had cancer. She felt how Caroline's world fell apart when the treatment didn't work. She saw how Caroline spent her lunch times and after school in the hospital with him playing games, reading to him, trying to make him happy while she could. She tried to make his last few weeks of life as bearable as possible for him. She told him he didn't have to be scared because she would always be with him to take care of him. She saw how Caroline was the light of the little boy's life. She felt Caroline's heart shatter when she found out he died and she wasn't there. She couldn't go to the funeral because she was so beyond distraught that he died without her there when she'd promised she would always be with him. Daisy's eyes filled with tears and when she let go of her hand her tears fell down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Caroline." She said sincerely and Caroline nodded.

"I'm sure you saw that Sam and Jonah are quite similar in some ways. It's just so... wonderful to be around him. He makes me remember Sam." Caroline said as she wiped her own eyes. Daisy had no concerns about Caroline _before_ she read her with regards to Jonah, but _after_, she saw that Jonah would have a real friend, someone who would teach him things and help him and make him feel special and she knew that Caroline was spending time with Jonah because she _wanted_ to and for no other reason. Daisy had already really liked Caroline but she kind of loved the little vampire now. Her heart broke for her that she had to lose her little Sam the way she had.

"They are very similar, I agree." Daisy said softly. "He was a very special little boy, wasn't he?" Daisy asked and Caroline nodded.

"His parents worked a lot just like mine did so he always had me. He was more like my little brother than my cousin, to be honest." She said.

"You know, Caroline, I've lived a long time so death is something you begin to understand more and more... and though he was young, he probably knew that it would have been too much for you to be there when he passed away." Daisy said to her softly and a couple more tears fell from Caroline's eyes but she wiped them away quickly.

"Thank you for saying that." Caroline replied softly. She'd never thought of it that way before and it helped.

* * *

><p>After her meeting with Daisy, Caroline got control over herself then took out the mats to the quiet part of the grass they'd done gymnastics on before and set them up for when Charlotte came back with Jonah and Valentina. When they came up on the grass, Jonah let go of Charlotte's hand and sprinted over to Caroline with a huge grin on his face and she smiled back at him and crouched down and he nearly knocked her over with the hug he gave her. It made her heart warm because he was just such a lovely child. Charlotte and Valentina giggled a little at his cuteness.<p>

Charlotte didn't have to be in the office that day so she was doing the gymnastics with them too which made Caroline happy as Charlotte seemed to always be such wonderful company. Valentina joined in on everything they were doing and Charlotte was surprised to see Jonah so enthusiastic about everything but that made her very happy too. Caroline noticed that Valentina was very quiet all morning. Soon enough it was lunch time and Jonah said he was starving which made them giggle a little but Caroline and Charlotte took the two of them over to the dining room to have their lunch anyway. Caroline noticed that Valentina was still very quiet and it was obvious that something was bothering her. After lunch, Charlotte took Jonah to his room for his afternoon nap and Caroline was left alone with Valentina.

"What do you want to do while Jonah's having his little nap?" Caroline asked her with a smile. Valentina looked at her for a few moments in contemplation then looked down at the table.

"Jonah said that you're his friend." Valentina said softly and Caroline nodded.

"Are you okay, Valentina?" She asked concerned.

"Would you be my friend too?" She asked.

"Of course." Caroline replied immediately.

"Then... can I talk to you about something?" She asked in a tiny voice.

"You can talk to me about anything." Caroline replied sincerely.

"And you won't tell Mama or Daddy?" She asked softly and Caroline bit her lip. That was a tough one.

"It depends, Valley. If it's something that they need to know, I can't keep it from them. But if it's something they don't need to know then I won't tell them. I can try to help you if something's wrong." She said and Valentina seemed to think that over.

"I don't want to go back to school anymore." She said worriedly and Caroline saw that she was really fretting over whatever had happened at school. It surprised her as everyone seemed to be of the opinion that Valentina absolutely _loved_ school.

"What happened?" Caroline asked concerned.

"My teacher, Mr Terrin, shouts at me and picks on me. He makes fun of me in front of everyone and I don't want to go anymore." She said and she started to cry a little bit which made Caroline want to kill this awful teacher. She got up and moved to sit next to Valentina and hugged her. Valentina hugged her back and sobbed a little into Caroline's shoulder.

"What exactly did he say?" Caroline asked as she rubbed the small girl's back.

"The class material is really easy for me and I don't usually ever get questions wrong so he says things like I think I'm too good for school and that I think I'm better than my classmates. I don't think that at all. I work hard and do all my homework. That's why I get good grades. He knows I'm dyslexic and yesterday he made me spell difficult words in front of the class then called me Princess Stupid when I spelled something wrong." She whispered and Caroline was _beyond_ furious.

"He's a horrible, horrible man, Valley. Don't listen to him, sweetheart. You are so smart and everybody knows it." Caroline said soothingly.

"Please don't tell my parents." She whispered.

"I won't but that isn't acceptable, Valley. I'm going to go down and have a little chat with him. Nobody will ever do that to you again, okay?" She asked softly and Valentina nodded.

"Thank you, Caroline." She said.

"Don't you worry about a thing, sweetheart. I'll get this all sorted out for you. Do you think you'd like to be in some higher level classes instead of your age group?" Caroline asked.

"Do you think I'm smart enough?" Valentina asked her with wide innocent eyes and Caroline smiled.

"I think you'll do amazing." She said warmly. "I can help you with that and so can Daniel. You know he's super smart like you." She winked at the girl who gave her a smile. "You know, your Dad told me that you love the museum in town." Caroline said.

"I do. I love going there." Valentina smiled.

"Well, I'm going to pop down to your school quickly, so why don't you go get ready then we'll go down to the museum in the afternoon for a few hours? I haven't been there before so you can show me everything." Caroline suggested and Valentina looked so happy.

"You mean it?" She asked with a grin.

"Absolutely." Caroline smiled.

"Will you take me shopping after that?" Valentina asked. "I never have any time to go with my Mom or sisters." She said.

"Sure, we can have a girls' day after the museum." She smiled.

"Okay!" Valentina grinned. "I'll go get ready."

"I'll meet you in the family room when I get back, okay?" Caroline smiled.

"Okay, I'll see you soon!" Valentina said happily then darted out of the dining room. Caroline was glad she could cheer the young girl up. She, however, had a teacher to go throttle, so she hurried down to her room to pick out something smart to wear.

* * *

><p>Caroline got directions to the school from the palace guards and she and her hell hound made their way there. Her hell hound was named Isis and Caroline thought she was lovely. She was the size of a very large dog and she watched out for Caroline wherever they went. Caroline made her way up the steps of the school and there was a guard at the door.<p>

"Hello. How can I help you?" The guard asked her politely when she reached the door.

"Hello, I'm the Royal Satyana here to see the headmaster." She said in a no nonsense tone and the guard's eyes widened just a little and he nodded to her in what was no doubt a sign of respect but Caroline was way too pissed to dwell on thinking about that.

"Right this way, Satyana." The guard opened the door for her and she and Isis walked through. "The Satyana to see the headmaster." The guard told a man just inside the door.

"Good afternoon, Satyana. Please, follow me." The man said and Caroline nodded to him and followed him down the hall. He walked her down a few corridors then they came to a receptionist. "Gail, this is the Royal Satyana and she's here to see Headmaster Brown." He said to the receptionist.

"Good day, Satyana." She nodded respectfully and Caroline nodded back. The receptionist stood up then hurried into a room for a few seconds then the door opened and a man came out with a smile and the receptionist went back to her seat. He looked to be in his mid thirties and Caroline hoped that he would be reasonable so she wouldn't have to take it to Daisy.

"Hello, Satyana. I'm headmaster Brown." He said holding out his hand and she shook it.

"Do you have a few minutes to speak with me?" She asked him though her tone conveyed she was less than pleased and it wasn't really a question.

"Of course. Please, come into my office." He motioned for her and she and Isis walked into the room and he followed her and closed the door. Caroline was kind of surprised that hellhounds were allowed to go _everywhere_ but she didn't comment. She took a seat in front of his desk and he sat behind his desk. "How can I help you, Satyana?" He asked her and she could tell that he was a nice man.

"I'm here to discuss Valentina Salvatore." Caroline said and he nodded.

"She is a very bright student. Her teachers sing her praises." He said and Caroline nodded.

"I'm actually here to discuss one of her teachers actually. Mr Terrin." She said and she saw a small flash of something that almost seemed like 'not again' across his face.

"Certainly. What are your concerns?" He asked sincerely.

"I happen to know that Valentina loves school. She loves learning, she's exceptionally intelligent and she works very hard and does all of her homework on time and completes it at a very proficient level." She said and he nodded as he knew that to be true too. "So when she comes home and is frightened to go to school tomorrow because of a teacher it has me particularly outraged." Caroline said and his eyes widened.

"He frightened her?" He asked shocked.

"Apparently this has been going on for a little while. She does really well in class and he says things to her like, she thinks she's better than the other students or too good to be there. However, it seems yesterday he took his bullying to a whole new level. He forced her to stand up in front of the class and spell difficult words and when she got them wrong he ridiculed her and called her Princess Stupid." Caroline said and his jaw dropped.

"But she's dyslexic." He said confused.

"Exactly. It is not her fault she finds spelling difficult. She does so well despite having dyslexia because she works hard for her grades. This is unacceptable Headmaster Brown." Caroline said to him and her tone indicated that she was furious.

"I completely agree. I am so sorry about this." He said to her and it was obvious he was shocked.

"She was in tears when she told me about this and asked me not to tell her mother so I haven't done so yet. I was hoping we could have this issue resolved without having to ask the Queen to step in." Caroline said and he nodded. He did _not_ want the Queen having to come down to the school.

"I will arrange whatever you ask of me, Satyana." He said to her sincerely and internally she was shocked that her 'status' was so important. But if it helped Valley, then so be it.

"I have to say that _no_ child should have to put up with bullying, let alone from role models like teachers. They are supposed to be someone a child can put their trust in." Caroline said to him and her tone was softer now and he nodded. "This isn't just because she's a High Princess, Headmaster Brown, but if this teacher is brave enough to ridicule the Queen's daughter, who is to know what else he is doing to students?" She asked him.

"I understand and honestly I'm appalled at his behaviour. He will be removed immediately. This is not the first time he has been brought to my attention." He said and she nodded.

"I appreciate that. I would also like you to consider putting Valentina into a higher level class. I've personally seen her have full on debates about material much more difficult than what she's being taught and I truly believe she would benefit from an increase in stimulus. She does her own outside learning because I think she craves knowledge. She is also quite mature for her age so I don't think a class of students a year older than her would prove a challenge for her to make friends." Caroline said and he nodded.

"I have to admit it's not something that is common but to be honest, it's not the first time I have considered that for her. Her work is usually perfect and she often completes work to a higher level than she is being taught." He said and she nodded.

"I spoke to Valentina about it already and she would quite like harder work too. She has not only myself but her parents and older siblings to help her should she need it." Caroline said.

"Then I am happy to get that organised. She doesn't need to come in for classes tomorrow. Her new classes will start in a few days. Would you be able to bring her in the day after tomorrow to choose her classes and collect her new timetables?" He asked her.

"Absolutely. What time would you like me to bring her by?" Caroline asked.

"Does 10.30am suit you?" He asked curiously.

"That's great." Caroline said. "Thank you so much for your help today, Headmaster Brown. I was just so worried about Valentina. It breaks my heart to see a child so hurt." She said and he nodded.

"I am so sorry that happened and I am very grateful to you for bringing it to my attention. He will be removed and I assure you he will write her a letter of apology." He said.

"Honestly, I think Valentina would prefer if he didn't do that. She is afraid of this man so it would be better if he just left her alone." Caroline said.

"Certainly." He nodded his understanding.

"I'm glad we could get this all resolved, though I would appreciate it if you would pass him a message for me." She said.

"Of course." He said.

"Tell him he should avoid me in the other dimension." She said and he looked a little surprised but she saw in his expression that he kind of felt the same way.

"I will." He smirked and she smiled then stood up.

"Thank you. I'll see you the day after tomorrow at 10.30am with Valentina. Do you have any papers you need her parents to sign?" She asked.

"I will have them ready for collection when you come in." He said. "Is Valentina okay?" He asked her concerned and she saw that he truly cared about the students.

"She'll be fine. I'll make sure of it." Caroline smiled.

* * *

><p>Caroline stood outside the entrance to the dungeon biting her lip. Now that she was back, she realised that she had totally made a life altering decision for Valentina without discussing it with her parents. She was kind of worried that they would be <em>pissed<em> because she was pretty sure that she would be pissed if someone did that to her. She rolled her eyes at herself and made herself walk down the stairs of the dungeon then down the corridor to Damon's cell. She stood there for a moment contemplating what she was going to say but before she could figure it out, Damon appeared at the door with a smirk. His eyes widened a little at the sight of her as she was dressed in smart clothes, her hair was tied up, she had dark makeup on. She looked kind of badass instead of girly Caroline.

"You look..." HOT. "Different." Damon said and Caroline stared at him. "Were you planning on just standing there?" He asked her as he motioned for her to come in then she bit her lip. He got a wave of her emotions and he felt that she was worried, afraid and nervous. "Just tell me whatever it is you need to tell me." He said to her furrowing his eyebrows. He really had no idea why she would be _afraid_ after how much time they'd spent together already.

"Look, before I tell you, I didn't do it to like... go behind your back. I had good intentions but somehow now that I think about it, I really should have talked to you first." She said. "I was just so furiously angry and it just kind of happened without me thinking first and I know I always do that and I really don't want you to be mad at me because I was just trying to help. Honestly, that's the truth. I wouldn't ever do anything to purposely..."

"Caroline." He cut her off as she rambled and she eyed him nervously. "Am I going to have to compel you to spit it out?" He asked her sceptically and she sighed then walked past him into the cell then took a seat on the edge of his bed. He was surprised at that considering she seemed nervous before to be in the cell with him. He wandered back over and sat down across from her.

"Valentina was sad all morning and there was something very obviously wrong with her." Caroline said and he nodded.

"I know. I could feel it from her this morning. She was sad and hurt and nervous but she wouldn't tell me what was wrong." He said worriedly.

"Well, she told me but she asked me not to tell you. But I really can't not tell you and I'll explain that to her later." She said and he nodded for her to continue. "Her teacher was bullying her and she told me she didn't want to go to school anymore because of him." She said and Damon expression changed to fury.

"What happened?" He said immediately.

"Basically, because she's so smart and her teacher didn't need to teach her anything, he made fun of her in the class, then yesterday he made her stand up in front of everyone and spell words because he knows she's dyslexic and when she made a mistake he called her Princess Stupid." Caroline explained and Damon's eyes glowed red with the fury he felt.

"I'll kill him." Damon said and Caroline nodded.

"I know... so... I kind of... uh... went to the school and had him fired." She said biting her lip and Damon's jaw dropped and his eyes went back to normal. He stared at her in shock.

"You did?" He asked her in disbelief. He couldn't believe she'd done that.

"Yeah. Valley was so upset and she was crying and hugging me and I just wanted her to feel better. I know how much she loves school usually and I just fucking hate that teacher for making her feel afraid to go back so I couldn't help it. I found myself promising her I'd fix it and she just looked at me so happily when I said that so I hauled my ass down there, asked to speak to the Headmaster and explained to him what happened and that it was completely unacceptable for any child, let alone the Queen's daughter. I told him that if this teacher had the guts to ridicule the Queen's daughter, what was he doing to other children? And he promised to have him removed immediately. I told Valley I would go talk to her school and then we'd go down to the museum so she could show me it and she looked happy again and excited and just how she was when I met her so I couldn't help going to the school. I know now in afterthought that I should have gone to talk to you or Daisy first but I was just so mad. I'm sorry." She explained and he stared at her. Just stared. She'd totally stuck up for his little girl. She'd made Valley feel better. She'd sorted the whole problem right away while also making Valley happy again. Damon kind of loved her a little in that moment.

"Thank you for doing that, Caroline." He said to her a little bit in awe. Her surprise was evident but then she bit her lip again.

"Uh... there's more." She said and he looked surprised.

"You can tell me." He said sincerely and she sighed.

"Valley happened to mention earlier when we were out on the mats that school is so easy and she's been learning things by herself just because she wants to so I was chatting to the Headmaster and I know I totally overstepped by doing this and I'm so sorry... but I kind of suggested to him that he should think about putting her in a higher class level because she'd benefit from a little more stimulus... but... this dimension seems to think I'm important or something because I'm the Satyana so he kind of just did as I said and now Valley's been bumped up a year." Caroline said and Damon looked at her amused.

"So... you got my daughter bumped up a grade in school and you thought I'd be mad at you?" He asked her with a chuckle.

"It's the parents' decision when it comes to their child's education and it was never my intention to overstep but I'd talked to Valley about it and since I was at the school anyway I just happened to throw it out there. I didn't mean to do it behind your back or anything." She said worriedly and he laughed again.

"Caroline, you did something great for my daughter. I'm stuck in a cell. Daisy is always far too busy for stuff like that. You did a really amazing thing for Valentina. She will be so much happier in a more advanced level class and honestly? Daisy usually has her like secretary or whatever she's called, deal with Valley's schooling. Daisy hasn't really got a clue what's going on with her at school so you didn't overstep. And like I told you before, all I care about is that my kids are happy. If Valley was happy to trust you and tell you about that teacher and was happy for you to go to her school and help her, why would I have a problem with that?" He asked her.

"Because I should have talked to you first before I went." She said and he shrugged.

"I trust you too, you know. You make good decisions and this worked out well. I don't mind that you didn't talk to me first." He said.

"Okay, but I just want to stress that I did not intentionally do this behind your back, okay?" She asked and he smirked.

"Okay." He agreed because it seemed that was what had her so worried. "Is that what the outfit is about?" He asked amused and she chuckled.

"I didn't think I'd be taken too seriously in a beach dress." She replied and he laughed.

"That look works for you." He smirked and her stomach fluttered at the look he was giving her.

"Thanks." She replied. "Also, Valley doesn't have to go back to school for a few days because her new classes start then. I've to take her into school the day after tomorrow in the morning so she can pick her classes and I can pick up the forms for you to sign." She explained and he smiled.

"Cool." He replied. "What else did you say to the Headmaster?" He asked and she chuckled.

"I told him to tell the teacher to avoid me in the other dimension." She said and his jaw dropped then he laughed loudly.

"You said that to the Headmaster?" He asked as he laughed and she giggled.

"Yeah but he smirked at me and looked totally like he agreed with me so I don't think I made things worse." She said amused and he chuckled. He was highly amused by that.

"What's he like? The Headmaster?" He asked.

"Really nice guy, Damon. I think you would like him a lot. He cares about the kids. It's not just a job for him. He knew things about Valentina without having to look her up and I really like that. I like that he's involved with the students and he was professional without being a stick in the mud." She explained and he nodded.

"That's good." He replied.

"Though, he said he was going to have the teacher write her an apology but I declined and told him that the teacher is not to bother Valentina. So in case anyone's waiting for a written apology, it's not coming." She explained and he chuckled.

"If the guy has to be told to write an apology, it's kind of insulting to her anyway so it's good you told him not to bother." Damon replied.

"What about Daisy? Should I go explain all of this to her too?" She asked.

"Nah, don't worry about Daisy. I'll tell her about the classes. All she'll say is 'that's great' then talk about something else anyway so it's fine. She'll just throw the teacher into the hell dimension if I tell her that and he's already been fired so that's enough." He said. "I'm feeling in control now though, so if you could maybe bring Valley down so I can talk to her and give her a hug that would be amazing." He said and she smiled.

"I'll go get her. She didn't want you to know but I told her before she told me about it that if you needed to know, I would tell you, so I didn't break her trust." She said and he nodded.

"Thank you for looking out for my little girl, Caroline." He said sincerely and she smiled.

"What are Satyana's for?" She winked at him as she walked out of the cell and he chuckled. Damon stared at the space where she'd left through the door in a bit of awe and after what she'd done for Valley, he couldn't even hope to push away his feelings for her. It seemed Noelle was right... Caroline was indeed amazing.

* * *

><p>Caroline walked into the family room to find Valentina alone reading a book. She looked up with a smile and Caroline noticed she already looked happier.<p>

"Hey, I need to tell you what happened." Caroline smiled at the girl. She took a seat beside her and Valley watched her intently. "Mr Terrin won't be working at the school anymore. You're not the first student he's been horrible to and that just can't be allowed so he won't be working there anymore." She said and Valley nodded.

"Thank you, Caroline." She said softly.

"You're welcome, Valley. You can always talk to me and I'll try to help. You know what's exciting though?" Caroline asked with a grin which only made Valley happier.

"What?" She asked full of curiosity.

"You don't have school now for a few days then when you go back, you'll be in higher level classes." Caroline smiled and Valley grinned.

"Really?" She asked happily and Caroline nodded.

"Really." She replied. Valentina jumped up and hugged her and Caroline hugged her back tightly. "So the day after tomorrow, you and I will be going down to see Headmaster Brown so you can choose your new classes." Caroline said and Valley grinned at her.

"I'm so excited." She replied.

"Good, I'm really glad. Headmaster Brown knows how super smart you are and he thought it would be a great idea too." She smiled and Valley just looked so happy. "But, I have to tell you something. I had to tell your dad." She said and Valley looked surprised. "We couldn't have you changing year groups without telling him, you know?" Caroline asked her hoping she would understand.

"That makes sense." She replied. "Did you tell him about Mr Terrin?" She asked sceptically.

"I told him all about mean Mr Terrin and he was happy I went and got him fired." She smiled. "But he'd really like to talk to you if you'll come down with me." She said.

"Okay." She smiled.

* * *

><p>Caroline took Valentina down to the dungeon and Caroline stepped through the door.<p>

"Come." She said to Valentina who looked at her surprised.

"I thought we weren't allowed." She said.

"Your dad's doing better and he wants to hug you." Caroline smiled. Valley grinned at that then stepped through the door. Damon was crouched down in front of her in a flash and hugged her softly as his strength was still a little iffy.

"You okay?" He asked her softly.

"I am now, Daddy. Caroline fixed it like she promised." Valley said as she kissed his cheek and Damon smiled at her.

"So I heard you're so super smart that you got bumped up a year." Damon smirked at her and she grinned. "I'm so proud of you, Valley." He said and she beamed at him.

"Want me to give you guys some time?" Caroline asked motioning to the door.

"But I thought we were going to the museum?" Valley asked her and Damon smirked at Caroline for that. Valley tended to be kind of picky with who she spent time with and it seemed pretty obvious to Damon that Caroline was kind of like Valentina's hero now.

"Of course we are. I just thought if you wanted to hang out with your Dad for a little while first." She said.

"You can stay." She smiled back at Caroline and Damon chuckled. The three of them went and sat down on Damon's bed. "Caroline, do you think I'll make friends?" She asked innocently and Caroline knew that Valentina didn't make friends easily.

"I think it'll be easier for you to make friends in the higher level classes because the students will be a little older and you're mature for your age. You'll have more in common with them even if you're a year younger." Caroline smiled. Damon hadn't even thought of that aspect and found himself super happy with Caroline all over again.

"That's a good point." Damon agreed. "So what are you going to do on your days off before school starts again?" Damon asked her.

"Gymnastics with Jonah, Caroline and Charlotte was fun so maybe we could do that again if Caroline wants to." She smiled.

"I'm up for that. I was talking to your mom earlier actually and she told me about the indoor pool so I was thinking of taking Jonah swimming there if you think that'll be fun." Caroline suggested. "I'm lifeguard and CPR trained so I'll make sure nothing happens." She said to Damon who was impressed with her considering their safety immediately like that.

"I love swimming." Valentina smiled.

"Not only that, but the Boston crisis is averted, so Charlotte will no doubt love that too." Caroline added. Damon could feel Valentina's emotions so he knew she was no longer worried or anything. Her feelings were now happiness and excitement which obviously made him a happy dad.

"Charlie's a really good swimmer. She likes the beach too." Valley smiled.

"So do I." Caroline agreed. "You know, when your Dad is out of here, we should have like a beach day and all go down." She said and Damon chuckled at that.

"That could be fun." Valley grinned. Damon was a little surprised at that as Valley wasn't exactly the outdoorsy type.

"We'll have to go to the palace beach." Damon commented.

"Why?" Caroline asked surprised.

"Privacy." Damon shrugged. "There're too many people on the public beaches." He said and Caroline giggled.

"You're not even crowned yet and already it's gone to your head." Caroline smirked and Valley giggled while Damon just looked amused at her saying that. "Oh, I forgot to ask, have you called Ric?" She asked Damon.

"No reception in the dungeon. Why?" He asked curiously.

"Because a certain witch is coming to the dark dimension for a visit." Caroline grinned and Damon looked surprised. "So I was wondering if you wanted him to come too." She said.

"I'll be out of here in a couple of days so I'll call him then." Damon shrugged.

"I can't wait until you don't have to be in here, Daddy." Valentina smiled and he chuckled.

"You and me both, honey." He said amused and she laughed.


	13. First Visit

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

* * *

><p>His Secrets<p>

Chapter 13

* * *

><p>Bonnie got off the phone with Caroline and practically sped at vampire speed to her car. She jumped in and drove slightly too fast over to Alaric's apartment. She only had like three hours to find him so she hoped he was there since he hadn't answered his phone. She jumped out of the car then hurried into the building, up the stairs and by the time she got to his door she was panting for breath. She knocked and moments later the door opened. Alaric was surprised to see Bonnie standing there.<p>

"You okay?" Ric asked immediately when he could see Bonnie gasping for air.

"Fine. Ran. One sec." She said and he opened the door and motioned for her to come in. She went inside and took a few deep breaths.

"What's going on?" He asked confused.

"I'm going to the Dark Dimension tonight. Want to come?" She asked and he looked surprised.

"You heard from Caroline?" He asked and she nodded.

"She wouldn't stop going on about how amazing it is there. She didn't call me back earlier because she was having too much fun to check her phone. So Daisy is picking me up at 6pm tonight." Bonnie said and Alaric looked surprised.

"How long are you going for?" He asked curiously.

"Just a few days. What do you think?" She asked.

"Sure, I'm in." He replied with a smile.

* * *

><p>Caroline had an amazing time with Valentina at the museum. Caroline was stunned that a girl that was only almost nine years old could be so knowledgeable about practically every exhibit they looked at. Valentina told her tid bits about things she'd researched and gave her little extra comments about the artefacts and could tell her about the history of the dark dimension in quite impressive detail. Caroline was thoroughly blown away by her. She couldn't wait to totally tell Damon all about his amazing daughter. After the museum, Valentina asked Caroline what kind of things happened on a 'girl's day' and Caroline gave her tons of options. Valentina chose for them to go get their nails done as she'd never done that before. They went and got manicures and pedicures and Valentina loved it.<p>

After they did that, they went to a few shops and Valentina wanted Caroline to give her fashion pointers as usually Daisy's secretary bought her clothes and Valentina said she was totally 'frumpy' so she didn't want to wear those clothes. Caroline laughed a little at that but promised to turn her into a total little fashionista and Valley was very excited. They both tried on _tons _of clothes and shoes and Caroline put everything Valentina liked on her credits key. She also got some stuff for herself along the way though Valley was in shopping heaven. She had such an amazing time with Caroline. By the time they got back, it was dinner time and Daisy was just about to go pick Bonnie up. Caroline was excited to see her and asked Valley if she'd be up for another girls' day the next day with Bonnie – of course Valentina accepted because she'd just had so much fun. Daisy laughed a little at the shopping spree they'd obviously gone on since they had _tons _of bags, though she could feel Valentina's emotions and could feel that she was _beyond_ happy which obviously made her happy too. Caroline went down to Valentina's bedroom with her to help her with the shopping bags while Daisy went to get Bonnie then Valley followed Caroline down to her own bedroom to put away the few things she'd bought for herself. After that, they went to the palace courtyard to wait for Daisy and Bonnie.

* * *

><p>Bonnie and Alaric were waiting at Bonnie's house then there was a knock at the door at 6pm on the dot. Bonnie hurried over to the door and was met with the stunning fiery red head that was her ancestor.<p>

"Hi, Daisy." Bonnie smiled.

"Hey, sweetie." She replied with a smile.

"Come in." Bonnie said.

"Thanks." She grinned then walked in the door. "Hey, Ric. Nice to see you again." She smiled.

"You too, Daisy. Is it alright if I tag along?" He asked and she giggled.

"You're the Satyam, Ric. You know you're welcome any time." She smiled.

"Caroline said she's having such an amazing time in the Dark Dimension." Bonnie said and Daisy grinned at that. They could tell she was really pleased at Caroline being so happy there.

"She is. All my kids are totally in love with her. I swear it's like she's always been there with us." Daisy said amused and they chuckled a little at that considering everyone always liked Caroline.

"How's Damon doing?" Ric asked.

"He's fine. He's kind of bored sitting in that cell but the kids and Caroline have been keeping him company so he can't complain too much." She smiled. "I think he's probably ready to come out already, actually. He's taken the change really well." She said.

"That's good." Ric commented.

"Yeah, I think it has a lot to do with how flawless his control has always been as a vampire." She said proudly. "He'll be so pleased to see you, Ric. He's mostly had only women for company for days." She said amused and they laughed.

"Thought that's how he liked it?" Ric smirked and both Daisy and Bonnie laughed.

"True, but the women have mainly been his children so I'm sure he'll enjoy some company outside of family. He's really enjoyed spending time with Caroline." She smiled and both of them looked surprised.

"He has?" Ric asked and Daisy chuckled.

"He's not as much of an ass when he's around all of us." Daisy smirked and they laughed.

"That'll make a nice change." Ric said amused and she laughed.

"You know, Charlotte is over at the moment." Daisy smirked at him and he deadpanned.

"Damon said something to you, didn't he?" Ric asked and she giggled.

"He finds it highly amusing." Daisy teased.

"Finds what amusing?" Bonnie asked confused.

"Nothing, nothing." Ric said worriedly and Daisy chuckled.

"Apparently, Ric and Charlotte were eyeing each other when they met." Daisy said to Bonnie amused and Bonnie giggled in disbelief.

"You checked out Damon's daughter? Are you nuts?" Bonnie laughed and Daisy laughed at her saying that. Ric just blushed.

"She checked him out too according to Damon." Daisy teased and Ric just looked beet root red and highly uncomfortable.

"Damon was okay with that?" Bonnie asked sceptically.

"Of course." Daisy nodded. "Charlotte always has exceptional taste when it comes to men. All of her previous boyfriends have been very good to her. She doesn't show any interest in 'bad boys' or men that would give Damon and me cause to worry about her. Alaric is Damon's friend so he has no cause for concern there either." Daisy shrugged.

"Well... this is embarrassing." Ric commented and both women laughed.

* * *

><p>Daisy took Alaric first as she could just zap back since Bonnie was of her blood. They appeared in the courtyard and both Caroline and Valentina looked surprised to see Alaric.<p>

"Satyam." Caroline smirked and both he and Daisy laughed.

"Satyana." He smirked back then gave her a hug and she hugged him back with a giggle.

"Damon's going to be happy to see you." Caroline said when she pulled back.

"That's what I said." Daisy said amused.

"Hi, Valentina." Ric smiled.

"Hi, Alaric." She waved with a small smile. Daisy motioned to one of the staff who was walking past the courtyard and she hurried over to her.

"How can I help you, Queen Aibreann?" The girl asked politely.

"This is the Satyam. Can you get a room made up for him and make the arrangements for his stay?" Daisy asked her.

"It will be done immediately, my Queen." She smiled with a respectful nod then turned to Alaric. "Very nice to meet you, Satyam." She nodded to him as well.

"Thank you. You too." Alaric replied and he was a little surprised at being treated so respectfully. She smiled at him then turned on her heel and hurried off back into the palace to get his room ready. His gaze went around the courtyard and he was shocked at just how _enormous _the palace was. "Wow. This place is stunning." He said and Daisy smiled at him.

"After dinner we should take a walk around. You would _love _the library." Caroline said.

"Why don't you take Ric to see Damon while I go get Bonnie? I need to talk to her for a little while anyway." Daisy said.

* * *

><p>Caroline walked into Damon's cell and he sat up and gave her a smile.<p>

"I come with a surprise." She smirked and he looked at her confused then Ric walked in and Damon laughed.

"Ric. How you doing?" Damon asked amused as he stood up from the bed. Ric was surprised at just how pleased Damon seemed to be to see him.

"I'm loving the fact that you're banished to the dungeon." He smirked and they both laughed.

"Oh, crap." Damon rolled his eyes and they both looked confused until he suddenly disappeared from where he stood next to the bed. "That's so annoying." He muttered and they spun round to see him standing on the other side of the room next to the TV.

"What was that?" Ric asked confused.

"He's been sporadically teleporting since he changed." Caroline said amused and Ric chuckled in understanding. "Though it's funnier when you're in mid conversation and he suddenly turns into someone else." She smirked.

"Who have you been changing into?" Ric asked curiously.

"_Everyone_." Damon muttered as he walked over to them. "I'm trying not to think about certain people so I don't." He said.

"That's what happens?" Ric asked curiously.

"Yeah, if I think about someone and I don't concentrate really hard on _not _turning, I suddenly turn into them." Damon said annoyed. "Though, it's not happening quite as often now as it was a couple of days ago." He said.

"I've seen him turn into all of his kids, Stefan, Daisy, you, me, a couple of people I've never met and Johnny Depp." Caroline grinned and Ric chuckled. "Though that one was for me." She said and Ric smirked.

"Even Jonah?" Ric asked and they both laughed.

"Yeah, that was weird." Damon replied amused.

"Can I see you do that?" Ric asked amused.

"Turn into Jonah?" Damon asked with a chuckle.

"No, anyone." Ric shrugged.

"Turn into someone hot." Caroline replied and Damon shot her a look.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Damon asked and they both laughed at his huge ego.

"Let me rephrase then, darling... Turn into a _different _hot person." She smirked and Ric laughed at Damon's eye roll.

"Like Daniel's friend?" Damon said dryly without really thinking and Ric cocked his head to the side in curiosity as Damon sounded... jealous.

"Ugh. No." Caroline said annoyed not picking up on Damon's tone and Damon looked surprised.

"Thought you were going on another date with him?" Damon asked curiously.

"Daniel informed me like twenty minutes ago that Chris has been offered a placement to work at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland and he's going there tonight." She muttered and Damon couldn't help the smirk that appeared on his face.

"Why did Daniel tell you about it?" Damon asked.

"He didn't really inform _me _in particular. I was in the room talking to Valentina when he talked about it. He was practically jumping up and down telling Noelle about it." She said and Damon chuckled.

"He's such a _nerd_." Damon said amused.

"Damon." Ric said annoyed.

"What?" Damon asked confused.

"You alright?" Ric asked Caroline and Damon then understood what Ric was alluding to.

"I'm fine. It was just one date." Caroline shrugged.

"I'm sure he'll tell you." Ric said to her patting her lightly on the shoulder in a reassuring way.

"Want me to throw him in the hell dimension?" Damon flashed her a grin and Ric gave him another curious look. Damon looked like he'd been thinking about that already.

"Don't be ridiculous, Damon." Caroline said like he was stupid.

"Did you really like the guy?" Ric asked her.

"Well..." Caroline started. "We didn't really have much to talk about because we have nothing in common but he's ridiculously _beyond _hot so the making out was fun." She smirked at Ric who laughed while Damon deadpanned – Ric noticed, Caroline didn't. "Anyway, I'm going to go feed before Bonnie gets here. I'll come get you before dinner." Caroline said to Ric.

"I'm starving. Do you know what's being served?" He asked her and she giggled.

"Ric, the dining room is practically like a restaurant. You can choose from the menu." Caroline smiled and Ric looked surprised.

"Really?" He asked and both she and Damon chuckled.

"It's a palace, Ric." Damon smirked.

"You're never going to want to go back." Caroline smiled then left the cell and Ric turned to Damon and cocked an eyebrow at him as Damon's gaze had followed Caroline out the door.

"Damon." Ric said and Damon snapped his head to him.

"Hmm?" Damon asked him and Ric chuckled.

"Something interesting about Caroline?" Ric asked him and Damon scowled at him for noticing it _already_.

"No, of course not." Damon muttered and Ric looked at him amused. "Want a drink?" He asked.

"Sure." Ric replied.

* * *

><p>Daisy reappeared in Bonnie's living room as Bonnie had requested her to do instead of knocking again.<p>

"Hey." Bonnie smiled.

"Hey, sweetie." Daisy grinned. "Can we have a little chat?" She asked and Bonnie nodded and motioned for the couch and the two of them sat down.

"Something wrong?" Bonnie asked her.

"No, nothing like that." Daisy said reassuringly. "As this is your first visit to the Dark Dimension, there's a tradition that you be presented to the public." She said and Bonnie looked _really _surprised.

"Why?" Bonnie asked surprised.

"You are a princess of the dimension, Bonnie." She smiled. "I've always been a firm believer that the royals of the Dark Dimension should be accessible to the people who live there. I hate the thought that I could be walking down the street and someone would be worried to come and talk to me if they have a problem or for a random chat just because I'm the queen." She said surprising Bonnie. "If you're really against it, we don't have to do it." She said and Bonnie looked at her curiously.

"What would it involve?" Bonnie asked.

"Once per week there is a public hearing for anyone who is to stand trial and I am usually in attendance unless I'm busy or in the other dimension. What we would do is after I am presented, I would present you then you would present the justice official who would be doing the sentencing. Then after that, we would host a dinner at the palace and any dignitaries in the area would be there to meet you." Daisy explained. "Any time I have children in this dimension or they have children, I present them to the people on their first visit." She said and Bonnie nodded in understanding though she was visibly nervous.

"What would I need to say?" Bonnie asked.

"All you would have to say is something like, 'Good morning, I wish to welcome justice official what's-their-name to the arena. Fiat justitia.' We always say 'fiat justitia' in the arena because 'let justice be done' is kind of a theme in the Dark Dimension." Daisy replied.

"Would Damon be there?" Bonnie asked sceptically and Daisy laughed.

"He doesn't have to be." Daisy said amused and Bonnie chuckled.

"He'd totally make me more nervous." Bonnie said and Daisy chuckled.

"Then he won't be there. I won't tell him about it." Daisy winked at her and Bonnie smiled.

"That's fine with me then." Bonnie replied.

"That's wonderful, Bonnie." Daisy smiled. "Also, if you're nervous in front of crowds, I can always compel you not to feel nervous if you want." She said and Bonnie looked surprised.

"I'll think about that." Bonnie agreed. She had to admit, that might be better – she was _very _nervous speaking in public.

* * *

><p>About ten minutes later Noelle appeared at Damon's cell.<p>

"Hey, Ric." Noelle said when she walked in and he looked up at her.

"Hi, nice to see you again." Ric replied.

"Noelle, go tell your stupid brother that his idiot friend failed to tell Barbie that he's going to Switzerland tonight and she had to hear it from Daniel instead of the idiot friend." Damon said to her annoyed and Noelle's jaw dropped.

"She didn't _know_?" Noelle asked shocked.

"No, he didn't call her." Ric replied.

"What a fucking loser! I'm going to kick that big nerd's ass." Noelle said annoyed then disappeared in a blink and Damon smirked at Ric.

"You're getting your daughter to kick the guy's ass just because you can't?" Ric teased and Damon scowled at him.

"Did you see her little sad face? Daniel was all 'he's a really nice guy, he won't do anything to hurt her'. She's my Satyana. She doesn't deserve that." Damon shrugged taking a gulp of his drink and Ric chuckled.

"Mmhmm. Sure." Ric said amused and Damon shot him an annoyed look.

"She's been in here every day trying to make all of this easier for me. She's being amazing to my family. I might not show it but I've grown a bit of a soft spot for her. I can't help it. She's just so nice all the time." Damon muttered and Ric laughed. "But don't tell her that." Damon warned and Ric smirked.

"Like I'd ever repeat what you tell me." Ric replied.

* * *

><p>Bonnie and Daisy arrived in the courtyard and Bonnie's eyes widened as she took everything in. The palace was fantastically beautiful as well as enormous. Daisy led her into the family room where Caroline, Valentina and Jonah were and Caroline grinned at the sight of her.<p>

"Bonnie!" Caroline exclaimed happily then in a blink was in front of her hugging her. Bonnie giggled and hugged her back tightly.

"Hey, Care! I've missed you so much." Bonnie said. "Hi, Jonah. Hi, Valentina." She smiled.

"Hi, Bonnie!" Jonah exclaimed and waved at her from where he sat next to his sister at the table drawing and the three women couldn't help smiling at him being so cute.

"Caroline said we'd have a girl's day with you tomorrow. Do you want to do that?" Valentina smiled at her and Bonnie looked surprised but happy.

"Definitely. That sounds fun." Bonnie grinned.

"Mama? When's dinner? I'm hungry." Jonah said and Daisy chuckled.

"Why don't we go get some now, sweetie?" Daisy asked and Jonah smiled.

"I'll go get Ric." Caroline said.

* * *

><p>Daisy, Caroline, Bonnie, Ric, Jonah and Valentina sat down together in the dining room and the member of staff presented them with menus. Ric was stunned at the enormous selection and at how amazing <em>all of it<em> sounded. He noticed Daisy ordering a starter, main course and dessert so he didn't feel so bad at wanting to do the same. He got sweet chilli crab salad to start, truffle mushroom pasta for the main course and chocolate soufflé for dessert. Bonnie ordered carrot and coriander soup to start, Thai spiced chicken with jasmine rice for the main course and blackcurrant and white chocolate cheesecake for dessert. The two of them were sure they'd died and gone to heaven when they tasted the food. Alaric was really surprised that all of the staff addressed him as 'Satyam' and Caroline as 'Satyana' and they were treated the same way the royals were treated.

After dinner, Ric and Bonnie were shown their rooms where their stuff had already been put. Bonnie's room was close to Caroline's and Ric's was close to Damon's. The two of them were stunned at the sheer _size _of their rooms. Ric was sure his whole apartment would fit in his room twice. They were both given credits keys and Caroline explained it to both of them and Bonnie was shocked that she was also given a credits key. Bonnie's had a limit though, Daisy explained that to her. The only people who had unlimited keys were Daisy, Caroline, Alaric, Daisy's two and Damon. All of the princes and princesses had a limit of one million credits per year where one credit worked out to be roughly around $2. The high princes and princesses had a limit of one million credits per month but there weren't as many high princes and princesses.

Caroline encouraged both of them to have a quick read over the laws so they were both aware of them and they did. They were introduced to their hell hounds after that. Ric's hellhound was called Brock and he was the same size as Caroline's hellhound roughly. Bonnie's hellhound was called Arron and he was a little smaller, roughly the size of a wolf. Daisy explained that they would always have those two hellhounds unless they requested a different one as obviously, they all had different personalities and Daisy hoped they would bond well. She said that they would understand what she meant after spending a little time with their hellhounds.

Bonnie wanted to at least say hello to Damon so she and Caroline went down to the dungeon. They were going into the city with Noelle and Daniel for the evening though Noelle was still off giving Chris and Daniel a piece of her mind, not that Caroline knew about that. They reached his cell and Caroline walked straight in where Damon and Ric were sitting on the couch with drinks.

"Evening, witchy." Damon smirked and she rolled her eyes at the name.

"How you doing, Damon?" She asked.

"Bored of this cell." He replied amused and they chuckled.

"Daisy said you're getting out soon." Bonnie replied and Damon looked surprised.

"She won't let me out until I stop randomly teleporting and changing into people." He countered and they all laughed a little. "What are you two doing tonight?" He asked.

"We're going out into the city with Daniel and Noelle. Think we're going over to the beach party later." Caroline replied. "Are you coming, Ric? Or are you staying in with Princey?" Caroline asked and Ric and Bonnie laughed.

"Stop calling me that." Damon rolled his eyes.

"Princey-wincey." Caroline smirked and Damon deadpanned while Bonnie and Ric laughed loudly.

"That's hilarious." Ric said amused and Damon scowled at him.

"No, it's annoying." Damon replied.

"So are Blondie, Witchy, Judgy and Teach." Caroline winked at him and Damon shot her an amused look that clearly said 'touché' while Ric and Bonnie laughed.

"You missed Barbie." Bonnie pointed out and Caroline giggled.

"That one doesn't bother me anymore." Caroline smirked at Damon who chuckled embarrassed knowing _why _it didn't bother her anymore.

"Could always call you 'swooner'." Damon teased and Caroline cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Pompom." Caroline reminded him and he scowled at her.

"Fine, you win." Damon replied and they all laughed.

"What are you two talking about?" Bonnie asked confused.

"Nothing." They replied in unison then they laughed a little.

"Did you two become friends or something?" Bonnie asked sceptically.

"Turns out Barbie's kind of irresistible." Damon smirked and Caroline blushed while Ric and Bonnie laughed in surprise that Damon would say that.

"And don't you forget it." Caroline teased and he chuckled. "Anyway, you said hi. Let's go meet the twins." Caroline said to Bonnie who nodded.

"Are you coming?" Bonnie asked Ric.

"Nah, think I'll keep Princey company." Ric said and Damon shot him an annoyed look while the other three laughed.


	14. Royal

I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

A/N: Almost finished chapter 15 so won't be long for another update :)

* * *

><p>His Secrets<p>

Chapter 14

* * *

><p>The following morning, Caroline walked into the playroom after she showered and got dressed – as was becoming her morning routine – to say hello to Daisy and Jonah. She found Charlotte there as well.<p>

"Morning." She greeted.

"Caroline!" Jonah exclaimed with a grin then ran over to her and she giggled then crouched down and hugged him tightly just as he did. Daisy and Charlotte smiled at his cuteness and the fact he was so excited to see her.

"Did you sleep well, little prince?" Caroline grinned at him and he grinned at her.

"Yes, I slept well. Did you?" He inquired her.

"I did. A few strange dreams but I'm sure that was just from all the crazy drinks your big sister poured down my throat." Caroline teased and they all snickered.

"Oh, God. Did Noelle get you to do a fire shot?" Charlotte questioned as Caroline stood back up.

"Not quite _a _fire shot… more like… thirteen of them." Caroline replied and Daisy and Charlotte laughed in disbelief.

"I'm not surprised that you had strange dreams then." Daisy joked.

"This is probably terrible but I have absolutely _no idea _how we got home last night." Caroline admitted and they chortled.

"Where did you go?" Daisy smiled.

"We went to this bar that's located inside one of the rock caves at the beach – that was amazing, by the way – then we went over to a beach party. Though, Daisy, I have to tell you something." Caroline started.

"What's up, sweetie?" Daisy asked.

"Your daughter is nuts." Caroline declared with a smirk and she and Charlotte buckled over with laughter at her bluntness.

"That's so funny." Charlotte giggled.

"What did she do?" Daisy snickered.

"What _didn't _she do?" Caroline countered with a scoff and they guffawed. "There was one point where Daniel said that he had no idea how he survived nine months in the same uterus as her." She mocked and they chuckled. "I swear, I think I might be kind of a Noelle fangirl now." She quipped and they were shaking with laughter because they were just so entertained by her.

"Oh, sweetie. So, you had fun with her?" Daisy smiled and Caroline nodded.

"It was epic. I've never met anyone so fun before." Caroline giggled.

"What about Bonnie?" Charlotte probed with a grin and Caroline smirked.

"I think Bonnie is kind of terrified of her." Caroline remarked.

"Why?" Daisy tittered.

"Bonnie's just very conservative in a lot of ways and Noelle had this idea last night to try to surf on a shark and Bonnie just looked at me like 'help?'" Caroline giggled and they laughed loudly.

"That's so funny." Daisy said tickled. "What about Daniel? He can usually tone Noelle down a little."

"He's like one of the nicest people I've ever met." Caroline responded and they both smiled. "Though, I have to admit, I was ploughing him with booze just so that I could follow the conversation." She joked and they were back to laughing.

"He _is _crazy smart." Charlotte granted.

"Speaking to Daniel made me realise that I really do have a pea sized brain." Caroline admitted amused and they chortled.

"He makes everyone feel like that, sweetie." Daisy admitted reassuringly. "When I talk to him I always start off with, 'now remember that I'm not a genius when you tell me what you've been up to' and he dumbs it down a little for me." She smirked and they giggled. "Oh, by the way, did Bonnie tell you about the presentation tomorrow?"

"Yeah, she said that it's her introduction to the Dark Dimension." Caroline nodded.

"That's true. So, tomorrow evening will be the dignitary presentation and I would like to present you and Alaric to them as well." Daisy explained.

"What would I wear to something like that?" Caroline examined curiously.

"Do you know where the palace seamstress is located?" Charlotte tested and Caroline thought about it.

"That's in the right wing next to the magical library, right?" Caroline questioned and they smiled.

"Right." Daisy confirmed. "If you go down there, she'll take your measurements and showcase some dresses that'll fit you perfectly."

"That's exciting." Caroline beamed and Daisy was very pleased that Caroline was fitting in with them so well.

"There's one more thing." Daisy began. "At functions, royals wear Dark Dimension crowns." She added and Caroline looked surprised.

"Even me?" Caroline asked sceptically and they chuckled.

"You're the Satyana. You're a royal." Charlotte clarified and Caroline looked surprised again as she hadn't exactly considered that she was indeed now a _royal_.

"So, next door to the seamstress is the crown room. There's an appointment for you for a crown fitting at 11am, if that suits you." Daisy revealed.

"Of course." Caroline smiled.

"Maybe best to go to the seamstress first so that you know what colour your dress is. A lot of the crowns have gemstones in them, so it's nice to match them." Charlotte advised kindly.

"Okay, I'll head down there now. Actually, do you know where Noelle is? Her phone somehow ended up in my bag and I need to give it to her." Caroline enquired.

"She went down to see Dad." Charlotte answered.

* * *

><p>Noelle wandered into the cell first thing and Damon looked up from where he sat on the couch.<p>

"Morning." Damon greeted.

"Dad. Oh my God. I have found my partner in crime." Noelle grinned and Damon chuckled.

"I thought _I _was your partner in crime." Damon pouted.

"You are, and I love you, but I swear to God, Caroline is _so _awesome." Noelle revealed and Damon looked surprised.

"Did you have fun last night?" Damon smiled.

"Yeah, one of the best nights out ever. I still don't like the witch but I fobbed her off on Daniel." She confessed and Damon laughed at his blunt daughter. "But aside from you, Caroline is _the _most fun person that I've ever met." She declared and Damon was surprised that Noelle would say something like that as she normally never liked anyone all that much.

"How wild were you last night?" Damon raised an eyebrow at his daughter and the devious smirk that appeared on her face didn't comfort him.

"I haven't got the slightest idea how we got home." She quipped and he snickered at that. "And I lost my phone." She added and he shot her an entertained look.

"How drunk were you?" He probed amused.

"Fucking wasted." She snarked and he shook with laughter. "Caroline and I had a fire shot drinking competition." She grinned and he was very surprised.

"How many did you manage?" He inquired.

"Twelve." She replied and his jaw dropped.

"Are you _serious_? You drank _twelve_?" He questioned shocked.

"That's not even the most shocking thing." Noelle smirked.

"Then what is?" He tested sceptically.

"Caroline had _thirteen_." She stated and his eyes bugged.

"You let her drink that many? On her first time?" He probed shocked and she rolled her eyes.

"Caroline is an adult and can make her own decisions." Noelle pointed out and he shot her a look.

"Something could have happened to her. Fire shots can be dangerous." He countered and she cracked a chuckle.

"Aww, you're so worried about your Satyana." She teased and he rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, Noelle." He muttered and she giggled.

* * *

><p>About ten minutes later, Caroline wandered into the cell and she snickered at the sight of Noelle.<p>

"You are _insane_, by the way." Caroline said to her and both she and Damon laughed loudly at Caroline just hitting out with that. Damon noticed that every day, Caroline got more and more comfortable with his family and he really liked that.

"I was just telling Dad that you're my new partner in crime." Noelle smirked and Caroline giggled.

"I don't know about that. I have no fucking idea how we got home last night." She confessed and they were both in peals of laughter.

"Me neither!" Noelle grinned and they chortled.

"You left your phone in my bag." Caroline remarked handing it to her.

"Excellent! I thought I lost it." Noelle smiled. "We're so going out again tonight." She stated and Caroline smiled.

"Oh, without a doubt." Caroline replied like it was obvious and they both snickered.

"Let's ditch the buzz-kills tonight though." Noelle proposed Caroline sniggered.

"If we ditch the buzz-kills, how the hell are we going to get home?" Caroline asked and both she and Damon burst into laughter at the blunt blonde.

"That's a good point." Noelle agreed with mirth. "But you have to tell the witch to lighten up."

"Why? You know you'll just fob her off on Daniel again." Caroline smirked and she and Damon guffawed at that.

"See? Told you." Noelle grinned throwing her arm around Caroline's shoulders and Caroline giggled.

"Damon, I think I might kind of be your daughter's biggest fan." Caroline acknowledged to Damon and they sniggered.

"Think the feeling's mutual." Damon teased and Noelle grinned.

"Definitely. What are you doing today?" Noelle queried.

"Daisy made an appointment for me to have a crown fitting." Caroline revealed and Damon chuckled while Noelle rolled her eyes.

"She sucks." Noelle muttered. "What kind of super boring evening is this then?"

"It's for tomorrow. It's apparently the official introduction for Alaric, Bonnie and me to the dignitaries." Caroline replied.

"Great." Noelle muttered.

"_But _we can always go out afterwards and try to get up to fifteen on the fire shots." Caroline smirked and Noelle grinned. Damon was highly amused by this new side of Caroline that he hadn't known about. It was _very _obvious that Noelle had seriously enjoyed her company and that kind of surprised Damon, not because Caroline wasn't great, because she was, it was just that Noelle tended to be incredibly fickle when spending time with people.

"I totally love you, you know that?" Noelle quipped and Damon laughed loudly while Caroline beamed.

"I totally love you too." Caroline grinned back. "Bonnie and I are taking Valentina into town for a girly day after the crown fitting thing if you want to come."

"Nah, think one dose of the witch per day is enough for me." She snarked and Caroline and Damon laughed. "We should try and get Char and Ric out tonight and match make." Noelle winked and Caroline giggled.

"Poor Ric. He has no idea what he'd be getting himself into going on a night out with you." Caroline commented amused and she and Damon laughed loudly at that.

"What the hell happened last night?" Damon asked entertained.

"This one is nuts." Caroline pointed to Noelle and Damon shook with hilarity while Noelle smirked at that. "You know at one point, she made out with this guy then came over to talk to me then she was going back over and was like, 'which one was it again?'" Caroline teased and they both howled with laughter at that.

"I forgot about that. Still can't for the life of me remember if the one I went back to was the right one, though." Noelle acknowledged tickled and Caroline and Damon snickered at that.

"I don't think it was." Caroline said and Noelle snickered and shrugged.

"Happens." She joked and they laughed because they could imagine that to be true. "Dancing on the fire bar was fun, though." Noelle smirked and Caroline giggled.

"Yeah, but setting that guy that smacked your ass on fire was a little harsh." Caroline teased and Damon was in fits of laughter at that.

"You _did _that?" Damon exclaimed entertained.

"What? I doubt he'll ever smack someone's ass again." Noelle jibed and they chortled.

"I had seriously freaky dreams last night." Caroline admitted.

"Yeah, me too. It's the fire shots." Noelle agreed amused.

"What the hell are they exactly?" Caroline inquired with a grin.

"Liquefied and diluted hellfire mixed with alcohol." Noelle replied. "Too many _can _kill you, though." She jibed and Caroline chuckled.

"Well, what a way to go." Caroline quipped and they laughed loudly at that.

"Totally." Noelle bantered. "Are you going to the seamstress?" She queried and Caroline nodded.

"Yeah, Charlotte said that I should go there before the crown fitting. I'm heading there now." She remarked. "I just wanted to give you your phone back."

"I'll come with you. Mom will make me go to this crappy thing, so I'll need a dress too." She muttered.

"Cool." Caroline smiled.

"Let's go then. Later, Dad." Noelle waved as she started to leave.

"Bye, Damon." Caroline chimed in then the two girls disappeared out of the room before he had the chance to reply and he rolled his eyes at himself. He hadn't had a minute alone with Caroline in what felt like ages and he'd hardly gotten a word in while she and Noelle talked. He found that he really _wanted _time alone with her. He couldn't wait to get out of the cell so that he could start making excuses to have time alone with her without having to be confined in one place.

* * *

><p>Caroline and Noelle chatted about the night before and what they might do that evening while they made their way to the seamstress. They entered the room and found the seamstress working on a teal blue gown.<p>

"Good morning, Princess." The woman welcomed Noelle.

"Good morning, Etana. This is the Satyana." Noelle motioned to Caroline.

"Good morning, Satyana. My name is Etana." She greeted.

"Very nice to meet you, Etana." Caroline responded.

"We need gowns for tomorrow." Noelle stated.

"Yes, Her Majesty was by earlier and mentioned that you would no doubt stop by." Etana enlightened.

"What colour did the Queen choose?" Noelle enquired.

"Her Majesty opted for a dark peacock gown." Etana replied.

"And my sister?" Noelle examined.

"Princess Charlotte's gown is the one I'm working on." She smiled motioning to the light blue strapless teal gown. "What colour would you like to wear, Princess?"

"Black and gold, please." Noelle replied immediately.

"Certainly, and you, Satyana?" She established.

"What do you think?" Caroline queried Noelle who grinned.

"Red." She said surprising Caroline.

"I have just finished a red gown, actually. I think it may fit you, Satyana. Would you like to look at it?" Etana enquired.

"Yes, please." Caroline replied with a nod. She wasn't really sure about wearing red but she wasn't going to be rude and say 'no' either. Etana disappeared through a door and was back moments later with a stunning deep red gown. It was a deep dark red colour with a strapless sweetheart bust, fitted bodice and it tapered out into a fishtail at the skirt. It was embellished with crystals and Caroline was floored at the gown.

"Now that would look amazing on you." Noelle observed with approval.

"That's stunning." Caroline agreed.

"I'm so pleased that you like it. I will have to take in the bust and hips a little, I think, but if you'd like to try it on, the changing room is through there." Etana pointed to a door.

"Yes, please." Caroline accepted. Etana opened the door and went inside then hung the dress up and Caroline went in then Etana left. Caroline closed the door and slipped the dress on then came out in it and Noelle grinned. She knew that Damon was getting out the next day so he'd see Caroline in that and no doubt fall over with how _amazing _she looked.

"Oh, that is _so _the dress for you." Noelle observed in awe.

"The waist will have to come in too." Etana commented as she scanned Caroline in the dress.

"Do you like it?" Noelle asked.

"It's fabulous." Caroline replied honestly. "Can I really wear this?" She grinned.

"Yes, of course." Noelle replied.

"Have the crown maker put in a red stone in your circlet and it will look perfect." Etana smiled at her pleased.

"Yeah, definitely." Noelle agreed.

* * *

><p>Noelle ended up choosing a strapless black gown with gold embellishment that had a small train at the back of the dress. Etana measured Caroline's body and promised to have the adjustments made for both dresses. After they chose their dresses, the seamstress brought out shoes for them to look at. Noelle's shoes were a pair of black and gold open-toed t-strap pumps and Caroline chose black sandals with an ankle strap that had red crystals adorning the back of the heel. They saw Daisy's peacock shoes as well and Caroline thought they were amazing as they were platform pumps with feathers attached to the heel.<p>

After that, the two of them went to the crown appointment. The man, Louis, measured Caroline's head then produced a large selection of crown circlets for her to try and she eventually chose a delicate one with a red stone in the centre. Noelle chose a silver and gold crown adorned with black stones. She told Caroline that it was a drag having to wear a crown to the events but her mother had threatened to compel her to wear them if she didn't do it willingly, so she'd given up trying to argue the point.

Once they'd selected their crowns, Noelle took her down to the jewels room to choose jewellery to wear. Caroline was shocked at the _huge _collection of jewellery. They had every colour gemstone imaginable and thousands of diamonds and she was just stunned while Noelle showed her around. Noelle chose a white and black diamond thick choker necklace with matching drop earrings while Caroline chose a diamond and garnet necklace and earring set. The necklace had a large garnet cut in a heart shape and Caroline just thought it was stunning.

Noelle was having such a nice time with Caroline that she changed her mind about the girly day with her and the other two. She also, however, saw the look on her Dad's face when the two of them left the cell. Like he was disappointed that he didn't get more time with Caroline, so she decided to intervene.

"By the way, I need to talk to you about something." Noelle stared as they walked back towards the courtyard.

"What's up?" Caroline smiled.

"My dad mentioned earlier that he wanted to talk to you about the ascension." Noelle lied. She knew that Damon would yell at her later but it was worth it, in her opinion.

"Oh, today?" Caroline asked surprised.

"Just whenever you're free. But Bonnie has a crown fitting in like ten minutes, so why don't you pop down and see him now? I'll let her know where you are." Noelle offered.

"Okay. You coming?" Caroline tested surprising Noelle. Noelle had to come up with a quick lie.

"I would but I have to go find Daniel and ask him something. And find out what the hell happened last night." She smirked and Caroline giggled.

"Okay, just come and get me when you're ready to go then." Caroline smiled.

"Will do." Noelle smirked knowing that she would leave it a little while.

* * *

><p>Caroline wandered down to the cell and walked in. Damon was still sitting on the couch reading.<p>

"Hey." Caroline smiled and he looked up at her with a smirk. He was _so _pleased to see her alone.

"Hey, how'd it go?" He asked.

"Amazing. The seamstress has like the most beautiful dresses in the whole world." She responded and he chuckled. "Noelle said that you wanted to talk to me about the ascension." She said taking a seat next to him and Damon tried not to gape at her knowing _exactly _what his daughter was doing.

"Uh… yeah." He lied because it would be too embarrassing to say he didn't as then she would _also _know what Noelle was up to.

"Is everything okay?" She questioned him concerned.

"Yeah. I… uh… You like it here, right?" He tested and she smiled.

"Damon, I'm at the point that I really don't give a crap if you're okay with it because I am _so _staying." She teased and he laughed.

"Well, have you thought any more about the advisor thing?" He prodded and she shrugged.

"I'd tell you if I hear anything anyway so there's not really much point in putting a title on it." Caroline replied and he smirked.

"The reason I'm asking is because I need to appoint like a 'vice president' for lack of a better term and we've been getting along, so I wanted to know if you're interested." He said as he'd thought this would be the perfect way to get more time alone with her.

"What would it involve?" She queried curiously. Internally she was shocked and flattered that Damon was asking _her _to do it.

"Daisy told me that as soon as I ascend, I'll have to travel throughout the Dark Dimension for a little while to go to some events and meet dignitaries and stuff like that, so you'd travel with me, go to the events and stuff, go to meetings with me and basically help me out with the 'duties' I'll have." He explained and Caroline's stomach fluttered at the thought of getting to spend so much time with him.

"Wouldn't you rather take Ric for that?" She tested and he smirked.

"Well, for one, Ric lives in the other dimension and for the other, Jonah would be going with me most of the time." He answered and she nodded. "And… no, I'd rather have you." He admitted and she had to concentrate really hard so that she wouldn't melt at how he said that.

"Uh… yeah." She agreed. "I can do that." She accepted. "Is that a forever kind of thing?" She asked and Damon's stomach fluttered at the thought of that.

"Well, you can get out of it if you don't enjoy it." He replied and she nodded – she had no hope in hell of stopping her feelings for Damon after this discussion. She realised that she was going to have to get a boyfriend. And _fast_.

* * *

><p>AN: Let me know what you think. Dresses, shoes, crowns and jewels will be on my profile :)


	15. Tomer

I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

A/N: I was asked by **CarolineFan **to add in a scene where Noelle and Caroline talk about their crazy night out, so I did add in a small scene at the beginning with some details. I hadn't actually realised how many people were reading this story, so I'll make an effort to update it more often :) Hope you like this chapter! At the end, I expect slaps lol

You wanted a Daroline moment, so I hope you enjoy...

Also, the links are up for Noelle and Caroline's gowns and accessories on my profile :D

* * *

><p>His Secrets<p>

Chapter 15

* * *

><p>Caroline and Noelle talked Ric and Charlotte into going out with them that evening. The six of them went to the cave bar since Caroline had loved it so much. They were sitting around a table when Ric got curious.<p>

"Damon mentioned that you two were a little wild out last night." Ric commented motioning to Caroline and Noelle and the others laughed.

"A _little _wild?" Bonnie asked in disbelief and they snickered.

"We weren't _that _bad." Noelle quipped.

"You don't remember coming home." Daniel countered.

"How _did _we get home?" Caroline questioned Noelle. "You never told me what Daniel said." She added and Noelle sniggered.

"Apparently, we were waiting for a cab and you and I sat down on a bench and passed out leaning against each other." Noelle responded with a grin and they chortled.

"Then how did we get to our rooms?" Caroline giggled.

"Daniel carried us in." Noelle sniggered.

"What the hell did you drink?" Ric examined highly amused as he knew vampires had a crazy high alcohol tolerance level.

"What _didn't _they drink?" Bonnie countered and they laughed.

"We had vampire cocktail, fire shots, we drank shots out of this group of guys' belly buttons – that was funny, by the way – but I think the thing that really got us was the blood shots." Caroline described and they chortled.

"What are blood shots?" Ric inquired interestedly.

"It's only for vampires, it's blood from this weird demon but it makes vampires like _ridiculously _out of it. It's kind of like drugs for vampires." Noelle clarified amused.

"What other wild things did you do?" Ric queried with a chuckle.

"Uh… we danced on top of a bar surrounded by fire, we crowd surfed at the beach party we went to, we cliff dived a couple of times then Noelle and I swam out into the ocean looking for sharks to surf on, totally drunk off our asses…" Caroline giggled and they laughed loudly.

"Then they came back and made a bunch of guys go find them towels." Bonnie smirked and they snickered.

"That was funny." Caroline giggled.

"No, what was funny was you stealing that couple's clothes." Noelle teased and they chuckled.

"What happened?" Charlotte asked with a giggle.

"Caroline spotted this couple on the beach that went into the water to get laid and she ran over and grabbed their clothes and hid them." Noelle smirked and they laughed loudly.

"You did?" Charlotte giggled.

"I blame the fire shots." Caroline refuted.

"Care, we hadn't had them yet." Noelle smirked and they laughed.

"Oh… uh… well, in that case I blame… oh, who am I kidding? It was fucking hilarious." Caroline grinned and they guffawed loudly at her being so blunt.

"Besides, you two didn't really cliff dive, you more kind of just drunkenly fell in the first time." Daniel pointed out with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"It's a good thing I don't have to breathe because I was underwater for a good couple of minutes before I realised that I was indeed underwater." Caroline joked and they laughed in disbelief.

"She was just kind of floating underwater looking at fish when I found her." Noelle giggled.

"What? The animals in this dimension are kind of different." Caroline remarked amused.

"There isn't the same kind of people population in the Dark Dimension, so there are animals that are extinct in the other dimension that aren't here, just as other animals evolved here that didn't there and vice versa." Daniel explained surprising the newcomers.

"That's fascinating." Ric commented. "I'm so looking forward to reading more about this world."

"The palace library is the best library in this dimension for all of the facts, but the true treasure is a museum in a nearby city. There is so much history there. I'll take you." Charlotte offered and he smiled at her.

"I'd love that." Ric agreed and she smiled back. Noelle, Caroline, Daniel and Bonnie were glancing at each other amused at them totally being googly eyed over each other already.

* * *

><p>The following morning, Caroline and Valentina were going to the school to meet with Headmaster Brown. Valentina wanted to go down and see Damon before they left though, so they headed down to the dungeon and went into his cell. Damon looked up from where he lay on the bed and he saw Caroline in a tight black pencil skirt with lacing up the back and a matching jacket with a beautiful cream top, black high heeled pumps, dark eye makeup and her hair was straight in a ponytail. His eyes devoured her, he thought she looked so <em>hot <em>dressed like that. But then he noticed Valentina, so he shook himself out of it.

"Morning, Daddy!" She exclaimed happily then ran over to him and hugged him.

"Morning, angel. Barbie." He smirked.

"Hey." Caroline smiled.

"We're going to see the Headmaster." Valentina informed him pleased.

"Be good for Caroline." He instructed and she grinned and nodded her agreement.

"I'll bring the papers for you to sign when I get back." Caroline offered.

"Thanks." He winked at her.

* * *

><p>They spent about ten minutes chatting to Damon then they left to go to the school. They walked there with their hellhounds and made their way into the building. They had an appointment, so the guard was expecting them and they were escorted down to the Headmaster's office straight away.<p>

"Good morning, Satyana, Princess." The receptionist greeted and they both smiled.

"Good morning." They replied in unison then glanced at each other amused.

"I'll just get Headmaster Brown." She remarked then disappeared into his office. She reappeared with him behind her then she sat back down at her desk.

"Good morning, thank you for coming." Headmaster Brown welcomed.

"Nice to see you again, Headmaster Brown." Caroline greeted and he gave her a pleased smile for her comment.

"You as well, Satyana." He replied. "How are you today, Valentina?" He enquired. Caroline was a little surprised that he didn't greet her as 'Princess' as everyone else had, but Valentina had told her that she didn't like it, so she presumed that the headmaster knew that.

"I'm very excited to choose my classes." She answered beaming and he chuckled while Caroline stroked her hair fondly.

"Well, let's get that done then. Please, come in." He motioned to his office and they went inside then took a seat in front of the desk, side by side and their hellhounds lay down on the ground while the Headmaster took his seat behind the desk.

They spent a while going over the timetable and Caroline was surprised at how many subjects were available and _also _that there were different class choices within a subject area. She saw what Damon meant about them having to take every subject as well and was shocked at how much schooling they were required to do from such an early age. When it came down to art, Valentina didn't want to take the creative classes and wanted to do the art history class instead.

"Unfortunately, that class is full as we are short-staffed in that department." Headmaster Brown admitted apologetically and Caroline scanned the time sheet.

"Well, couldn't she take another history class in that slot instead?" Caroline requested as Valentina had found it very difficult to choose just _one _of the history subjects as history was her favourite subject.

"We do like all students to take one of every subject." He countered.

"Sure, but if you offer an art history class within the art department, that's not exactly art, is it?" Caroline smirked and he chuckled. He very much liked the blunt blonde.

"I'm willing to compromise if you have any ideas." He suggested.

"Well, Valley goes to the museums in the city almost weekly so she's getting art history outside of school already. I went with her yesterday and she can recite facts and anecdotes about almost every exhibit they have there." She revealed and he smiled impressed. "Aside from that, I could make an agreement that she visit a different museum in the other dimension once a month and hands in a paper on her findings." Caroline proposed and Valentina grinned at the thought of that. "Then she could take either Egyptian or Greek history. There will be plenty of references to art within those subject areas also." Caroline pointed out. "And, to be honest, I'll personally be doing arts and crafts with Valentina's younger brother at home, so perhaps Valentina could join us for that for the creative aspect of art?" Caroline suggested.

"I have to say, Valentina, you seem to have quite the friend there." He commented to the girl and she beamed while Caroline giggled.

"I do. She's wonderful." Valentina agreed and Caroline blushed.

"Thanks, sweetie." She said giving Valentina a kiss on the head. "So, is that an acceptable compromise?" Caroline probed.

"Does that suit you, Valentina?" He queried.

"Yes, that would be wonderful." She beamed.

"Then I'm fine to go ahead with that." He agreed and they both smiled. "Which extra history class would you like to take?"

"Egyptian, please." Valentina responded and he marked that down.

"Well, that is complete then." He noted pleased. "My receptionist will print out the paperwork that is required as well as the new timetable." He advised.

"Thank you very much." Caroline acknowledged.

"Yes, thank you so much, Headmaster. I am so excited to start." Valentina chimed in and he smiled at her fondly.

"You're very welcome, Valentina. I hope you enjoy it." He replied then the three of them stood up and went over to the door. He opened it for them then had a thought. "Actually, Satyana, may I have a word for a moment?"

"Alright." Caroline agreed.

"Shelza, print the forms for Valentina, please." He instructed the secretary and she nodded then Valentina went over to her and he closed the door leaving him alone with Caroline again.

"What do you want to talk to me about?" Caroline enquired.

"This may be forward, but, would you care to join me for dinner tomorrow evening?" He asked her and she cocked an eyebrow at him.

"You're asking me out?" She queried amused and he chuckled.

"I am." He confirmed.

"If the situation were different, I would agree straight away but in this case, I'd like to okay that with the Queen first considering Valentina attends your school." She explained and he smiled – he'd expected that.

"That is quite understandable." He settled.

"I'll bring the signed papers back tomorrow and give you an answer then." She smiled.

"I look forward to it." He responded and she couldn't help that her stomach fluttered a little because, although he looked like he was in his early thirties, he was gorgeous and always so nice. She thought he might be perfect for her 'need to get a boyfriend' plan.

"As do I." She approved and he smiled. "Can I be so bold as to ask what you are?" She asked him and he snickered in surprise.

"A vampire." He answered.

"I'm happy to hear that. Would have had to say no if you were a werewolf." She teased and he chortled.

"Is that so?" He enquired amused.

"No, I'm teasing. I'm not a supernatural bigot." She joked and he laughed. He saw the difference in her from the _pissed _Satyana that came to the school when Valentina was being bullied to the fun young woman that was before him and he only wanted to know her more. He saw how taken with her Valentina was and how much Caroline obviously cared about her in return and he thought it was nice.

"You are quite the surprise, Satyana." He smirked and her heart fluttered a little at the expression on his face.

"Call me Caroline." She invited and he grinned at her for offering her true name.

"Thank you. That's a beautiful name." He remarked. "Mine is Tomer." He disclosed and she smirked.

"Well, Tomer, I'll see you tomorrow." She bid him farewell.

* * *

><p>Caroline was all smiles when she and Valentina finally returned to the palace. Just as they were walking in, Daisy intercepted them.<p>

"Valentina, you need to go get your dress at the seamstress." Daisy instructed and she nodded then hurried down the right wing. "How did it go?"

"Great, actually. Valentina got exactly what she wanted and I talked him into letting her drop art on the understanding that she visits museums and writes a paper about her experiences. She was thrilled at the idea of that, considering it gives her an extra history class." Caroline answered and Daisy grinned at her.

"Quite the negotiator. I can see why Damon wants you to be his councillor." She commented fondly and Caroline smiled, she figured that was the term for what Damon had asked her for.

"Thank you." Caroline replied. "I… uh… actually have to talk to you about something." She admitted.

"Go ahead." Daisy encouraged.

"Well, Headmaster Brown asked me out." Caroline started and Daisy's jaw dropped.

"He's _so_ hot! I hope you said 'hell yeah!'" She grinned and Caroline laughed in surprise at her reaction.

"I said that I would talk to you about it first." Caroline responded and Daisy looked at her warmly for being such a sweetheart.

"I have absolutely no problem with that. In fact, if you pass that up, give him my number." She winked and Caroline chortled.

"He _is _gorgeous." Caroline granted amused and Daisy nodded in extreme agreement.

"Caroline, you're a sweetheart, I really don't see you causing trouble with the Headmaster, so I don't believe that would result in a conflict." Daisy clarified and Caroline smiled.

"Okay, I'll say yes when I take the papers back." She settled.

"What papers?" Daisy queried.

"The school needs a signature on the consent forms for Valley's class changes." Caroline clarified.

"Can you ask Damon to do that? I've already signed like a hundred papers today and I really have no will to read ever again to be honest, let alone this." Daisy smirked and Caroline snickered.

"Yeah, that's fine. Must be tough being the Queen." Caroline commented genuinely and she exhaled.

"It's just… it never stops. For over 800 years." She sighed. "I can't even take like a week off without _some _disaster needing my attention. I don't mind being Queen, there are a lot of perks, but sometimes it's just frustrating." She admitted and Caroline shot her a sympathetic look.

"Well, I'll bug Damon for you and after he ascends he can do all of that stuff sometimes, so that you get a little more time." Caroline offered and Daisy smiled at her.

"You really are a darling, Caroline. I don't see him agreeing to that, though." She countered amused.

"If I complain incessantly, he'll get really annoyed with me and just do it to shut me up." Caroline winked at her and she giggled.

"I hope you and I will be friends." Daisy remarked sincerely and Caroline smiled.

"So do I." Caroline agreed.

* * *

><p>Caroline made her way down to the dungeon and Damon was watching a movie. He leered at the sight of her – still in the sexy clothes – and sat up.<p>

"Everything go alright?" He queried and she nodded.

"Scoot over." She instructed and he smirked then moved over on the bed. She kicked off her shoes, took off her jacket and tossed it on the couch then climbed up to sit beside him leaning against the headboard. "Daddy papers." She remarked as she handed them over and he chuckled at that.

"Thanks." He said. Caroline then explained the agreement she'd made about the timetable and Damon was highly amused that she'd managed to talk the Headmaster into allowing Valentina to drop art completely as dropping subject areas was never allowed.

"That's funny. Valley will be so happy with that deal, though." Damon commented.

"Well, I figured that you could teleport her to random museums all around the other dimension, so that would not only allow her to learn and experience different things but I remembered you saying that you wanted quality time with her, so I thought that this would give you that." She explained and he smiled at her affectionately for that. Everything she did only made him like her more.

"I love the idea of that actually." He admitted. "Thank you for that." He said and she winked at him.

"No problem, Princey." She quipped and he deadpanned.

"You have got to stop that." He mumbled and she giggled.

"And how are you going to make me?" She joked and he chuckled in surprise at her teasing him like that. "Do you know what the _gravest _offence in the Dark Dimension laws is?" She tested.

"No." He answered.

"The murder of one of the two by their crown's hand." She responded and he smirked at her.

"You know I would never kill you anyway." He countered and she tittered.

"That's only because you would _literally _spend forever in the hell dimension for that." She teased and he rolled his eyes.

"I didn't even know that." Damon pointed out. "But that's not why."

"Oh?" She asked him amused. "Why then?" She pushed and he tittered and rolled his eyes again.

"You know why." He countered with a smirk.

"Because I'm kind of irresistible, right?" She bantered and he laughed at her repeating his words.

"Right." He agreed half amused half mildly embarrassed and she smiled though her stomach fluttered.

"Are you excited about getting out of here today?" She queried.

"Daisy's only letting me out so that I can go to this thing she's hosting tonight." Damon muttered. "I'd be happier if she was letting me out tomorrow." He admitted and she giggled.

"Don't be a spoilsport. It's going to be fun." Caroline quipped.

"No, it really isn't. This is the first evening that I'm going to be at one of these things officially." He murmured.

"You mean as the Ascending High Crown Prince?" She probed and he nodded. "Are you worried about that?" She questioned him tenderly and he sighed.

"I don't want to do it, Caroline." He confessed quietly glancing downwards. Caroline surprised him then when she took his hand and he looked up into her eyes for explanation of the affectionate gesture.

"Hey. You are going to be an amazing High Crown Prince." She encouraged genuinely. "You'll still have tons of time for your family and fun and I promise I'll always be there to help you in any way that I can." She assured sincerely and he gave her hand a soft squeeze because that actually meant a lot.

"Thank you, but it's going to suck being a ruler of the Dark Dimension." He mumbled and she snickered.

"Nonsense. You and I can get up to all sorts of mischief on these outings we're going to have to take." She quipped and he chuckled in surprise that she would say that.

"Promise?" He tested softly and she nodded.

"Tons of fun. I swear." She grinned and he smirked. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Not if he had her.

"And what do I do if you leave?" He examined and she looked surprised as it was obvious he didn't _want _her to leave.

"Who said I'm going to leave?" She countered and he shrugged.

"You might." He responded and she shook her head.

"I won't." She promised. "Besides, by tomorrow, Noelle and I will no doubt be best friends forever, so you won't get rid of me that easily." She winked and he laughed.

"You know, very few people instantly like Noelle. She's usually an acquired taste." He smirked and she shrugged.

"Bit like you, huh?" She teased and he smiled – he noticed that he was still holding her hand and he just didn't want to stop, though she hadn't appeared to notice yet.

"Am I that bad?" He asked her staring into her eyes and she couldn't help staring back. She felt like she could get lost in those baby blues of his.

"No." She replied softly. Their faces were only inches from each other and Damon decided to go for it. His gaze flicked to her lips and Caroline knew that he was going to kiss her – she couldn't find it in her to do a damn thing to stop him. She didn't want to stop him anyway. He leaned forward a little and Caroline couldn't help doing the same.

They were less than half an inch away from each other when…

"_Think Daddy will like my suit?" _They heard Jonah ask from down the hall and Caroline pulled her head back and took her hand out of his and blinked rapidly as she tried to comprehend what almost just happened. Damon straightened himself up a bit and pretended to look at the papers in his other hand – he couldn't wait to get out of the God damn cell!

"Hi, Daddy!" Jonah exclaimed from the door.

"Hey, Jojo." Damon forced a smirk then Charlotte came in to view.

"Jonah wanted you to see his suit for tonight." Charlotte stated with a smile motioning to the little boy who was in a tiny black tuxedo, white shirt, black waistcoat and black bow tie.

"You look so handsome, Jonah." Caroline remarked and he grinned at her.

"I love the suit, son." Damon winked at him and Jonah was beaming happily.

"What are you two up to?" Charlotte asked – it was obvious that she suspected nothing.

"I just got back from the school, so Damon's looking over the papers." Caroline replied hurriedly – Charlotte didn't notice Caroline's awkwardness but Damon did and his heart sank a little.

"I hear that you have a date." Charlotte smirked and Damon turned to look at Caroline in surprise. That _sucked_.

"With who?" Damon asked confused as she very definitely was about to kiss him back.

"Sexy Mr Headmaster Brown. Mom's gushing about it saying that she's totally jealous." Charlotte grinned and Damon's jaw dropped.

"Valentina's headmaster asked you out?" Damon asked her shocked and Caroline cleared her throat nervously.

"Uh… yeah." Caroline replied.

"He's so gorgeous." Charlotte smiled. "Do you have any idea how lucky you are? Women all over the city are going to be so jealous." She commented surprising Caroline but Damon just scowled at nothing in particular – he'd already heard from _both _of his adult daughters _and _Daisy, all about how wonderful and gorgeous and dreamy Headmaster Brown was… Damon kind of wanted to _end _the guy. Out of _all _the girls in the Dark Dimension, he just _had _to go after Caroline. Damon was livid – mostly he was just depressed as hell at the news.

"Why?" Caroline queried surprised.

"Uh… because he's gorgeous, smart, has a great job, is well known in the city as a very wonderful person and he's very interesting. He was voted the second most eligible bachelor in Torrigan." Charlotte revealed pleased. Torrigan was the name of the city that the palace resided in. It was the Dark Dimension's capital city.

"Who's the first?" Caroline probed curiously as she tried to process the fact she was going to be going on a date with this like _famous _guy.

"Daniel." Charlotte smiled and Caroline wasn't surprised. "So, you definitely nabbed yourself a keeper." She grinned and Damon felt seriously depressed. There was no way he'd be able to compete with Mr _Wonderful_.

"I didn't know any of that." Caroline frowned.

"What's wrong?" Charlotte asked confused.

"Nothing." Caroline muffled. "Anyway, I have to go get ready." She changed the subject while jumping off the bed then slipping her shoes on.

"For what?" Charlotte inquired with inquisitiveness.

"Daisy's presenting Bonnie at the hearing today and I promised that I'd go support her." Caroline responded as she pulled her jacket back on.

"Oh, what time are they leaving?" Charlotte questioned.

"In like fifteen minutes." Caroline answered.

"I'll come with you then." Charlotte offered.

"That would be great." Caroline smiled. "I'll see you tonight." She said to Damon who nodded.

"Yeah." He replied feeling kind of crappy. Caroline saw that he clearly wanted to talk but they could hardly do that with Jonah and Charlotte there so she left…

* * *

><p>AN: What do you think? :)

I put a link on my profile for Headmaster Brown.


	16. Justice Arena

I don't own The Vampire Diaries. If I did, Damon would not be a doormat. He'd be himself and happy. Not constantly hurt by Elena (Who I think should be renamed 'superbitch')

A/N: The response to the last chapter was AMAZING! Thank you so much for your reviews! Someone asked me for more scenes to be added to do with the Dark Dimension, so in this one, you'll get to read about the justice system for minor crimes :) I hope you like it!

This chapter is dedicated to **The Green Eyed Cat**. I hope you feel better soon!

* * *

><p>His Secrets<p>

Chapter 16

* * *

><p>Once she was changed, Caroline hurried with Charlotte to the courtyard and found Bonnie there. Moments later Daisy joined them and it was the first time that Caroline had seen her wearing a crown. It was a basic silver crown with some intricate flower work, decorated with a few rubies and small moonstones. She thought that it was lovely. She always wore a crown to anything she attended as 'The Queen' and the Wednesday Hearing was no different.<p>

Ric also opted to go with them because _everything _about the dimension was so fascinating and he was excited to learn more. It had nothing to do with the fact that Charlotte was going. Nothing. Not a bit. He wasn't really able to convince himself, so he doubted that he would convince anyone else either. So, Ric, Caroline, Daisy, Charlotte and Bonnie made their way out of the entrance to the palace down to the royal car then slipped inside and away they went to the hearing.

* * *

><p>Noelle made her way into the cell and found Damon staring up at the ceiling, where he lay on the bed, with a scowl on his face.<p>

"Hey, Dad." Noelle greeted plopping down next to him, sitting against the headboard.

"Noelle." He drawled and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Why are you so pissed?" She asked. "Is it because of the Bonnie thing?" She questioned. "I was left out too." She pouted and he looked at her confused.

"What Bonnie thing?" He tested and she giggled.

"You seriously don't know what tonight is for, do you?" She queried amused.

"No." He grunted.

"Daisy's presenting Bonnie at the hearing since it's her first time here." Noelle revealed and he looked surprised.

"Wait a minute." He scowled. "I'm having to go to this idiotic thing tonight because of _Witchy_?" He fumed and she sniggered at his outraged expression.

"Yep." She confirmed. "That witch sucks, by the way." She commented.

"Totally." He muttered and she shot him an amused look. "Since when are you back to calling your mother 'Daisy'?" He queried and she rolled her eyes.

"Since she's making me were a stupid gown and a stupid circlet for stupid Bonnie." She murmured and he snickered at that.

"You know she's Barbie's best friend, don't you?" He teased and she shot him a look.

"No. She _was _Caroline's best friend. _I _am going to be her best friend. Just you wait. I'll have that witch pushed aside in no time." She swore and he chuckled.

"You're jealous." He smirked.

"Aren't you?" She retorted and he scowled at her.

"Shut up, Noelle." He muttered and she smiled deviously.

"Is that why you're pissy?" She mocked.

"Can't believe she's going on a date with that dweeb." He muttered.

"Wait, what?" She asked. "A date with who?"

"You don't know?" He queried surprised. "Apparently, Headmaster Brown asked her out." He commented and Noelle couldn't help a wide grin from appearing on her face.

"Really?" She asked excitedly. "That's so…" She saw Damon's glare. "Uh… awful. Terrible." She said and he shot her a look knowing that she'd only said that because of his expression.

"You too? Seriously?" He questioned her irritated.

"The guy is _dreamy_, Dad." She remarked and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I hate him." He murmured and she laughed.

"You haven't made a move. You can't really be mad about it." She pointed out.

"Did so." He mumbled under his breath.

"What?" She exclaimed. "What happened? Tell me everything!" She demanded impatiently and he cocked an eyebrow at her.

"You're spending too much time with girls." He pointed out and she rolled her eyes.

"I _am _a girl." She countered. "Now talk to me." She pushed and he sighed.

"You can't repeat this." He warned.

"Never." She promised.

"I tried to kiss her." Damon said and her jaw dropped.

"Really? Why only tried?" She asked confused.

"I was leaning in to do it then Charlotte appeared with Jonah." He said and she scowled.

"Can't even be mad about that because it's Jonah." She muffled.

"I know." He mumbled irritated. "Then she bolted." He sighed and Noelle thought about that.

"Well, I can guess why." She commented.

"Why?" He asked.

"Because you haven't ended things with Mom and Caroline's not the type who would ever do anything to hurt _anyone_." She reminded him and he looked stunned.

"Oh my God. _Daisy_." He said shocked. "I completely forgot." He said in disbelief and she snickered.

"Rather wrapped up in Caroline, aren't you?" She teased and he shot her a look.

"This is so bad. She's going to think I'm a cheater." He mumbled to himself.

"No, she isn't." She rolled her eyes. "You're so dramatic." She sighed.

"Things are so messed up." He muttered irritated.

"Just… pull back with Caroline a little. She's not going anywhere and I _know _that she has feelings for you, so she isn't going to just get over that straight away. Separate from mom, give it a little time then go for it." Noelle suggested.

"And how am I supposed to separate from your mother? It was my stupid idea to get back together." He pointed out.

"Yeah, but you two never are together like a couple and you know it." Noelle replied. "How many times have you even _seen _Mom since you came here?"

"Three." He replied surprising her.

"Only _three_?" She asked in disbelief.

"Mmhmm. When she came down with me to the cell, when she came in the day you got released from the hell dimension and after the fire cell she was in when you and Daniel slept here." Damon elaborated.

"You haven't seen her since?" Noelle examined stunned that her mother had made almost zero effort and he shook his head.

"Nope." He replied. "She's been sending Daniel down with messages for me since she'd 'busy' apparently."

"She sucks. He didn't tell me that." Noelle said irritated.

"Whatever. What else is going on?" He probed.

"Char and Ric _definitely _like each other." Noelle revealed amused and he chuckled.

"That's funny." He replied. "Is that why Ric was being weird with me earlier?"

"Well, she is his friend's daughter. He probably expects you to go nuts or something." She smirked and he just looked amused.

"The only thing about it that bothers me is that he's mortal." Damon commented.

"Yeah, _now_." She said.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Last night he was kind of drunk and said that he's been thinking about becoming an immortal skin walker." She expanded surprising him.

"That explains all the skin walker questions he's been asking." Damon replied.

* * *

><p>Daisy, Ric, Caroline, Bonnie and Charlotte reached the arena then were escorted inside by guards and hellhounds. They went up in an elevator to the top floor where there was a lounge of sorts and glass panelling all across the outer wall, displaying an incredible view over the city of Torrigan. Those of them who hadn't seen the aerial view before were awestruck at how beautiful the city was. All of the buildings were designed in an old gothic style and they were all perfectly maintained.<p>

"Oh, Caroline, I forgot." Daisy said and Caroline turned to look at her while Daisy stuck her hand in her pocket and retrieved a box. She handed it to Caroline who looked back at her confused.

"What's this?" She queried.

"It's your inter-dimensional necklace." Daisy smiled and Caroline looked surprised.

"Thank you so much for this." Caroline said sincerely as she opened the box and Daisy smiled at her. Caroline saw the necklace was a black leather cord necklace with a red stone in the centre, just like Charlotte's.

"Not at all. That way you can come and go as you please." She smiled.

"How does it work?" Caroline enquired.

"You hold the stone in your hand, state your destination and it takes you there. A necklace like that can be spelled to take you to five different places. I've already spelled it for the palace and Mystic Falls, so you can let me know when you've thought of your other three places, or if you want Mystic Falls to be removed eventually, I can do that as well." Daisy explained. "Oh, it can also be spelled to go to a person. That might be handy with the councillor position if you want Damon to be one of your destinations." Daisy added and Caroline tried to look as unaffected by that as possible because she felt so guilty.

"I'll definitely think that over. Thank you so much." She said and Daisy cracked a smile.

"It's my pleasure, sweetie." She smiled. "If you hold the stone and say 'palace' it will take you to the courtyard and if you say 'Mystic Falls' it will take you to outside your mother's house there. That was Bonnie's suggestion." She clarified. "Also, the necklace doesn't allow for passengers _to _the Dark Dimension or travel with a passenger within the other dimension, but it does allow within this dimension and from this dimension to the other one." Daisy explained.

"Why's that?" Bonnie asked curiously.

"It's just in case you are ever in the other dimension and someone there steals the necklace. It would then be useless to them as only Caroline can use it and only people who have authorisation can enter the Dark Dimension. Supernaturals on the other side who find out about this world, have to apply to come here." Daisy described and they nodded in understanding.

"So, basically, I could take someone with me while I'm here, or take, for example, Bonnie home, but I couldn't bring her back." Caroline tested and Daisy nodded.

"You see, Klaus once found one of my daughters many years ago who had a necklace like that and he forced her to bring him here. He kidnapped one of my young children and took the necklace from her then went back to the other dimension… so, since then I am a little over cautious about the necklaces." Daisy revealed and they looked shocked.

"That's terrible." Caroline said disturbed and Daisy nodded.

"He was banned from the Dark Dimension before that, hence why he resorted to those measures." She explained.

"Excuse me, your majesty, Justice Official Daegus has arrived." A man said after he entered the room.

"Is there a reason that he's late?" Daisy inquired and the man nodded.

"He offered an apology and his reason was that he had to take his sick daughter to the hospital." He answered and Daisy looked confused.

"If that is the case, why did he not call and make other arrangements for another Official?" Daisy asked.

"He stated that his wife arrived and his daughter is not _so _ill that it required both of them to stay with her." The man responded and Daisy nodded.

"Send my best wishes to him and his daughter." Daisy replied and he gave her a smile.

"I will, my Queen." He settled.

"Thank you, Rufus." She answered back and he gave her a nod then disappeared out the door again. Alaric was impressed that every time he was in Daisy's company, she always seemed to know people by name. She knew all of her servant's names and was always nice and polite to them. "We ready to go?" She asked them and Bonnie bit her lip.

"Can you compel me? I feel like I'm going to faint." Bonnie admitted and Daisy and Caroline giggled.

"Sure, sweetie." Daisy soothed then her irises turned fiery red and they saw a blank expression appear on Bonnie's face, though Daisy wasn't standing in front of her, nor was she staring into her eyes. "You will not feel fear or nerves to speak in public in the Dark Dimension." Daisy compelled then her eyes went back to their frosty green and Bonnie looked surprised.

"Wow. I actually feel completely calm now." Bonnie remarked shocked at the instant difference and Daisy smiled.

"Good, I'm glad." Daisy agreed.

"Kind of the point, Bon." Caroline quipped and they snickered at the blunt blonde.

* * *

><p>They followed a corridor from the room they'd been in and soon they were in a box over-looking the stadium. There weren't any windows though, so they'd still be able to hear everything that happened. It was a fairly small stadium, probably only a 10,000 seat capacity. Down at the bottom was a long table and five people sat on chairs behind it and beside the long table was an elevated chair with an elevated desk that had documents and a microphone on top of it but there was nobody sitting there. In front of the table and desk was a row of empty chairs and a short distance behind the chairs were several people sitting on chairs surrounded by hellhounds.<p>

"Would you like me to explain it to you?" Daisy enquired after they'd taken their seats.

"I would love to know more about it." Alaric agreed and she smiled pleased that he was taking such an interest in everything. She really liked Alaric already.

"The five seated at the long table are like a jury of sorts called Justice Seekers. They are randomly selected and there is one vampire, one succubus or incubus, one skin walker, one human and yes, even a werewolf." She stated the last one with distaste. "They are there to ask questions, give their opinions and give their recommendation for a punishment." Daisy described. "The box next to them is where the Justice Official presides over it. He remains quiet throughout the proceedings then he looks over the notes of the five justice seekers and makes the decision whether or not the person is guilty or innocent and if guilty, what their punishment should be. The empty chairs are where the person accused and any witnesses sit. The people surrounded by hellhounds are those who stand accused of crimes." She explained and they were fascinated. "Though, there are only six accused today, so, we won't be here long."

"Though, I don't understand." Caroline started. "You could read them and find out what they did." She commented and Daisy nodded.

"That's true and there have been the odd occasions where I have done so, but as a rule I don't do that because, although I am the queen, it is not my right to know personal things about my subjects and when I read someone, I sometimes learn other things about them. I don't see that as being fair and I do always try my best to be fair." She explained. "I am not a tyrant and I don't want my people to fear me, so it is much better if they are able to make their case, explain what happened and why they did what they did. The skin walker will be able to sense emotions, hence will know if the person is lying. The vampire will be able to smell the blood of the accused and will pick up on lies that way, just as the werewolf will smell the skin. The incubus or succubus will be able to sense from their life force. And the human will use their humanity to be fair and add that sense of innocence that many supernaturals lack. That is why there is one of each. The accused know that it is best to just be honest because the Seekers will be less lenient towards a liar." Daisy divulged.

"Are there supernatural creatures besides those four?" Ric enquired and Daisy nodded.

"Yes, there are other types as well, though those four are the main and most populous ones." Daisy admitted. "There are several types of demon also." She added. "Charlotte said that she will take you to the Chronicles museum in Blevida. They have a section on all of the creatures in our world, including supernaturals." She revealed and he smiled.

"We're going tomorrow." Charlotte agreed pleased.

"Wonderful." Daisy approved. "When is Valentina going back to school?" She asked Caroline.

"The day after tomorrow." Caroline answered and she nodded. Just then they heard a mild static from a microphone being switched on.

"It's starting." Daisy informed them.

"_People of Torrigan._" They heard a man say into the microphone and there was silence in the stadium as the people paid attention. "_It brings me great pleasure to present our great leader, Her Majesty, Queen Aibreann Kera Morrigan Endellion._" Daisy rolled her eyes.

"They have to stop with the full name already." She muttered as she stood up and went over the podium. The others were surprised at how the crowd clapped and cheered when she got to the podium – it was obvious that she was a beloved queen. "Good afternoon, friends." She smiled and they clapped. "Today marks a historic occasion, as it is the first hearing that our Royal Satyam and Satyana are in attendance of." She said and the crowd cheered and clapped – Alaric and Caroline were shocked that Daisy mentioned them… and that it was considered _historic_ that they were there. "They are new to this dimension that we call home and I hope that if you see them, you will be respectful and welcome them here." She bid. "Onto today's proceedings. For those who stand accused, I ask you to be honest with the Justice Seekers. I hope that you are all found to be innocent of the crimes that you are charged with and I wish you the best of luck. If you are found guilty, then I hope that today will be the last time that you are here for proceedings as the accused." She said. "I also have a special guest here today and it would bring me great honour to present her to you. She is my great granddaughter…" Daisy smirked. "Well, there are a few more greats in there but I'm trying not to show my age." She quipped and there was a round of chuckles throughout the stadium. "Please welcome Princess Bonnie to the podium as she presents today's Justice Official." Daisy introduced and the crowd clapped and cheered as Bonnie made her way to the podium and Daisy smiled warmly at her. Bonnie was _so _glad that Daisy compelled her because she felt no nerves at _all_.

"Good afternoon, Torrigan." Bonnie smiled as she spoke into the microphone and the crowd cheered. She'd spoken to Daisy and they'd decided that she would say a little more since Daisy compelled her. "It's been wonderful being able to visit the Dark Dimension and I look forward to meeting all of you at some point." She greeted and they cheered loudly at that and Daisy looked pleased. "Good luck to those of you who stand accused. I hope justice is on your side today." She said and Daisy grinned at her for that. "I wish to welcome Justice Official Daegus to the arena. Fiat justitia."

"Fiat justitia." Daisy repeated into the microphone then she motioned Bonnie to the seats and they went back to sit down. "You made a wonderful introduction, Bonnie. Thank you." She said and Bonnie grinned at her.

"It was great, Bon." Caroline agreed proud of her friend. They watched as a man, Justice Official Daegus, in a black old-fashioned medieval style robe climbed up the steps to the box then took his seat.

"_Thank you for your welcome, Princess._" He said into the microphone and Bonnie smiled –she totally _loved _being a princess already. "_First on our proceedings today, Yeltor Spiroff. Please come forth._" He requested. A young looking man stood up from the accused seats and walked nervously down to stand in front of the other seats with a hellhound following him.

"_Good afternoon, my Queen._" The young man greeted with his gaze looking up at Daisy then he gave her a respectful nod. She smiled at him in return and nodded back.

"_Yeltor Spiroff. Vampire. Turned at age nineteen in 1981. You have never committed an offense in Dark Dimension records. You are accused today of intentionally causing bodily harm to another citizen. Please step forward to the Justice Seekers and explain your case._" The official requested. He stepped in front of them and Ric, Caroline and Bonnie watched in fascination.

"_I will remind you of our Queen's request for you to be honest._" One of the Seekers stated.

"One of them always says that." Daisy whispered and they nodded as they kept watching.

"_I was in a bar with my girlfriend. I will admit that I had far too much alcohol to drink and my decision-making skills were affected as a result. My girlfriend is human and the man I attacked threatened to feed on her and in my inebriated state, I lashed out instead of reporting his threat. I apologise for my actions and I am pleased to accept any punishment that you feel I deserve._" Yeltor stated.

"_Why did he threaten to feed on her?_" A female Justice Seeker inquired.

"_At first, he seemed to be interested in her as he put his hands on her. She warned him to remove his hands and his reply was that she was human and he would do whatever he liked to her. Even feed on her. That is when I stepped in and punched him._" Yeltor replied.

"_Did he retaliate?_" A man asked.

"_Yes, he stood back up and lunged at me, so I punched him twice more, which in turn broke his jaw and nose._" Yeltor answered honestly.

"_Why did you not inform a guard when he made his threat?_" Another female Justice Seeker asked.

"_My first thought was to protect her. In retrospect, I know that I should have informed a guard, but to tell you the absolute truth, I did not think of the guard as she was frightened and all I could think of was to keep her safe._" He responded and there was silence.

"_Are there any other questions from the Seekers?_" The official enquired and they shook their heads. "_Very well. Please write down your recommendations._" He requested. The five of them wrote for a moment then handed their papers to a man who collected them then presented them to the official. The official read over them and nodded. "_It is the recommendation of all five Justice Seekers that you leave today with a warning only and no time served in the Hell Dimension. In future, violence is not acceptable and will not be tolerated in the Dark Dimension. In this case, it is understandable that you wished to protect your mate. That is in every creature's nature. Do you find that acceptable, my Queen?_" He tested and Daisy went back up to the podium.

"Yes, that is just. However, even I can sense from all the way up here that this young vampire is telling the utter truth and I am rather vexed that _he _was brought here today yet the other was not. You will find him and bring him to the next hearing." She warned angrily. "Humans will not be threatened under my rule, is that understood?" She fumed.

"_It will be done, my Queen._" The official nodded his agreement.

"See that it is." She warned. "Yeltor?" She asked and he looked up at her. "You will bear no record for this offence as I cannot fault you for wishing to protect your mate." She stated and he looked a little surprised but he gave her a warm smile. "Please send her my best wishes and if she would like to make a complaint about the man who threatened to feed on her, Justice Official Daegus will see that done for her. Is that acceptable?" She asked.

"_Thank you, your majesty._" Yeltor said sincerely and she smiled.

"Very good. Have him released immediately." Daisy instructed then went back to her seat and a man hurried over to him and took off his wrist restraints then led him out of the arena personally. Caroline, Bonnie and Ric completely understood Daisy's claim that she always tried to be fair as they completely agreed with everything she said...

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><p>AN: Let me know what you think :) I hope you liked it! Next chapter will see some perks of being the Satyam and Satyana ;)


	17. Accommodating

I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

A/N: Sorry I took so long. Another chapter should be up in a couple of days.

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><p>His Secrets<p>

Chapter 17

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><p>When the hearing was finished, they were escorted out of the building down to the car then the driver started to make his way back to the palace.<p>

"I have to say, that was fascinating." Ric remarked with a smile.

"I was kind of expecting the crimes to be worse." Bonnie commented.

"The weekly hearings are the smaller crimes. Once a month, there is a more complicated hearing for those who have committed the serious crimes. At those, there are ten Justice Seekers; two of each kind and two Justice Officials." Daisy explained.

"I felt kind of bad for the first guy. He looked so nervous." Caroline admitted and Daisy nodded.

"If I'd known the situation beforehand, he would not have stood trial for that. I'm pissed off that they apprehended him and not the other." Daisy said. "The other's going to the hell dimension. I guarantee you." She muttered irritated.

"Do threats against humans happen often?" Ric inquired and she shook her head.

"No, not often. It's quite rare now actually. But that in particular drives me insane because I have human children. If someone threatened to feed on Valentina or Jonah, I would lose my mind." Daisy said and they nodded in understanding.

"What was the other one?" Caroline quizzed.

"I'm not sure. Probably a vampire. Incubuses and succubus's tend to feed in private." Daisy exposed.

"What cell will he go to?" Caroline queried.

"If found guilty, which I am certain he will be, I see no justifiable reason to threaten to feed on a human in my dimension, he will no doubt go to the fear cell for inciting fear in another citizen." She said. "I forgot to ask, how long will you two be staying?" Daisy asked Bonnie and Ric.

"We haven't really discussed a return date." Ric responded.

"My father thinks that I went to visit Caroline's aunt in New York for a few days, so I have to be back the day after tomorrow." Bonnie replied and Daisy nodded.

"Well, Alaric, the royal apartment manager is in the palace today and I thought that she could show you and Caroline the apartments." Daisy suggested.

"What's that for?" Bonnie queried.

"As the Satyam and Satyana, they are entitled to a royal apartment each and they were all renovated and redecorated last year, so I thought that they could look them over and choose." Daisy divulged and they looked surprised.

"Wait – do you mean my _own _apartment within the palace?" Ric tested a little shocked and Daisy smiled.

"Yes, as Satyam it is your right to have your own home within the protective surrounds of the palace and it will be yours to do as you wish with. The apartment manager will discuss with you any changes that you want made such as decoration or remodelling." Daisy replied.

"But… I can't just accept an _apartment_." Ric stressed and she and Charlotte giggled.

"But it is _yours_. There are eight royal apartments spaced out over two buildings. Two are taken already by _my _two, so there are six remaining and two are allocated to you and Caroline. You only have to choose which one you would like. I can only allocate four of them as it is your _right _to have one, so according to the law, there are only four available should we have guests or important dignitaries staying." Daisy replied. "And it is better to choose it yourself, as they are all very different." Daisy explained.

"Thank you." Ric said sincerely – sure that he was going to fall over in shock.

"No, Alaric. We thank _you_. A ruler's two are the most important part of any ascension. Damon could not ascend without you, hence why we try to thank you with the security and privacy of your own home and the unlimited credit key." Daisy countered.

"Can I go with them to look?" Bonnie smiled.

"Yes, if you'd like to." Daisy agreed. "Would you like to do that today while she is at the palace?"

"Yes, please." Ric agreed sincerely because he couldn't believe that he was being given such a gift.

"So, I can't stay in my room anymore?" Caroline queried and Daisy smiled at her.

"Yes, of course you can." Daisy nodded. "My Amicus has quarters near mine as well as his apartment for when he entertains friends or guests. The room you are in is now _your _room, but you should still choose your apartment as your room is just a _room_."

"Thank you." Caroline said sincerely.

"Not at all, sweetie. Actually, one of the top two apartments in the left block might be perfect for you." Daisy smiled. "They are decorated quite femininely but in an understated and classic way." She added fondly.

"That sounds beautiful." Caroline agreed.

* * *

><p>When they reached the palace, Daisy sent for the apartment manager and she arrived there moments later. Daisy introduced her to Caroline, Alaric and Bonnie then the three of them followed her across to the other side of the courtyard, through an archway where they'd never been before, out to the back of the palace where they saw two large buildings sitting side by side. The manager explained that there were four floors in each building and each floor held an apartment. She stated that the Amicus had the ground floor apartment in the left building and the Amissa had the second floor apartment in the right building and that they would go see all of the other six.<p>

They went into the right building first and straight into the ground floor apartment – the three of them were shocked at the sheer size and opulence of the apartment. After they saw that one, they went to the third floor and that one was just as grand, though decorated and modelled entirely differently. They saw what Daisy meant about them being very different from each other.

They made their way up to the top floor and Ric was sure he'd never seen such an incredible apartment. It was like a dream apartment for him and very much to his taste in style. It was decorated quite dark using black and grey as the main shades in decoration. It was spread over two floors. The bottom floor had a lot of windows and an open plan sitting area facing a large TV. There was another sitting area that was more of a social design then down a hall was a large dining area with a long table with space for ten to dine.

Attached to the kitchen was a fairly large home bar and facing the bar seats was a built in TV. Leading upstairs was a winding staircase where there were two bedrooms. Both bedrooms were amazing and Ric had no idea how he was going to choose one – he knew without a doubt that it was the apartment for him. Upstairs were also two large bathrooms. One was a red tiled spa bathroom with a deep round tub and a spa shower – Ric didn't like the red tiles but that was the only thing about the whole apartment that he wasn't too keen on. The other was a more masculine design and didn't have a tub but did have a spa shower. Upstairs, there was also a very large walk in wardrobe, a good sized office, a roof terrace with an amazing view of the city, Jacuzzi tub and seating area and Ric's favourite part, next to one of the bedrooms was a personal library – Ric was truly blown away.

"If your smile is anything to go by, Satyam, I think that you have made your selection." The manager said amused and Caroline and Bonnie chuckled while Ric grinned.

"I love this place. You have no idea." Ric replied.

"Would you like to see the other apartments before your make your decision?" She asked.

"No, this is the one for me." Ric grinned. "I love it." He said and she smiled.

"Very well." She agreed. "I am pleased that you enjoy it so much. The Queen will be very happy to hear that." She said. "Is there anything that you are not pleased with in the apartment? Or anything you wish to have changed?" She asked and he thought about it.

"The only thing is the red tile in the main bathroom." Ric replied and she nodded and wrote that down.

"I have several books with ideas for bathrooms. I will have them sent to your room at the palace and you can look over them at your leisure. If you see anything that you would prefer or have any ideas yourself, let me know and I will have it changed immediately." She replied. Ric was kind of shocked that he could just… _have _whatever he wanted. He discretely pinched himself – no, not a dream.

"Thank you very much." Ric replied and she smiled.

"This is apartment number eight." She advised then went through her folder and pulled out a book. "This is your guide book to the apartment; it will let you know all of the functions you have available to you, including the location of the personal safe, how to access and change the password and also the buttons that will make your apartment soundproof and how to contact the apartment staff." She guided then handed it to him.

"Staff?" Bonnie probed curiously.

"Yes, each building has an employed cleaner, butler and personal assistant for any needs that you may have. You can contact the personal assistant should you need occasion planning, catering services or an engineer to fix anything or if you have any requirements or questions at all. The butler is available 24 hours a day for any food or drink requests and should anything need to be cleaned, don't hesitate to buzz for the cleaner." She replied and Ric was sure that he was going to fall over in shock. "Also, if it a later date, you wish for any renovation or redecorating, the personal assistant will get in touch with me and we can make an appointment to discuss any changes you wish to have made." She added.

"Thank you very much." Ric replied sincerely.

"It is my pleasure, Satyam. Here are your keys." She said handing over a key ring with two keys on it. "There are spare keys in the palace office that can only be accessed by you or her majesty, in case you lose your key or need a spare for any reason." She replied.

"Thank you." He repeated and she smiled.

"Now, Satyana, we have three more for you to look at." She stated. "Would you like to come with us, Satyam? Or do you wish to familiarise yourself with your new home?" She asked and Ric smiled.

"Is it okay if I stay?" He asked Caroline and the girls giggled.

"Of course." Caroline replied. "Have fun." She added. "I'll see you tonight." She smiled.

"See you tonight." Ric grinned then the three women left the apartment and Ric sat down on the couch and took in the sight of _his _new _awesome _apartment – he was quite sure in that moment that he was never leaving the Dark Dimension. He seriously _loved _it already.

* * *

><p>Caroline finally found her apartment on the third floor of the left building. She absolutely loved it. She knew from the moment that they entered it that it would be the one she would choose. It was decorated in soft grey, white and beige. Some of the floors were soft grey wood, some were a warm beige marble, the walls were either light grey, honey beige or a silvery grey and the furniture matched perfectly. The apartment was over two floors as well and the downstairs had a hall reception area, dining area with room for ten, a coffee table and comfortable chairs suitable for four, kitchen, two sitting areas, one for entertaining and one for lounging. Upstairs were two beautiful bedrooms, an even larger walk in closet than at Alaric's apartment, a cinema room with a very large screen and lovely comfortable couches, two spa bathrooms and a balcony terrace with a sitting area and Jacuzzi.<p>

"This is my choice." Caroline said to the manager and she smiled.

"It is a lovely choice. It would also have been my choice if I were choosing an apartment." She said pleased and Caroline smiled.

"It's perfect, Care." Bonnie agreed.

"This is apartment three and here is your book and keys." The manager said after looking through her folder then she handed them to Caroline. "There are also spare keys for your apartment in the palace office and only you and her majesty have the capability to access them." She advised and Caroline smiled.

"Thank you." She said genuinely.

"It is my pleasure." She replied. "Is there anything that you wish to have changed?" She asked and Caroline thought about that.

"Not changed, no, but do you know where I could get a hold of some throws for the couches? It's likely that the young prince and princess will be here and children, as well as adults, spill things and I would hate for the lovely furniture to be ruined. I wouldn't want the children to ever worry about not playing or something in case they made a mess. They're children. It happens." Caroline replied and she smiled in return.

"Yes, absolutely." She agreed. "I will have colour and fabric swatches sent to your room and we can have them specially made to fit your furniture." She smiled.

"Thank you, that would be wonderful." Caroline replied.

"I am very happy to have met you, Satyana. Both you and the Satyam. You are very welcome additions to our world and I wish you all the best." The manager wished and Caroline felt quite emotional at that.

"Thank you. I'm very happy to have met you too. I love this world already." Caroline admitted and she smiled.

"The Dark Dimension can be the most wondrous place. I hope that you enjoy your stay and I am sure that we will see each other soon. Contact me should you wish to change anything at all." She encouraged.

"Thank you, I will." Caroline agreed.

"I will take my leave of you then. Goodbye, Satyana, Princess." She nodded and they bid her farewell in return then she left the apartment leaving Bonnie and Caroline there alone.

"Care, I seriously love this place. I don't want to go back." Bonnie admitted and Caroline smiled.

"If you want to stay, Daisy can compel your dad to be okay with that. He could think that you're off at college and you can always go visit him whenever you want to. There's college here too." Caroline responded.

"I'll think about it." Bonnie agreed. "I really will. There's so much to learn and do here." She added.

* * *

><p>Damon finally got out of the cell shortly after Caroline, Ric and Bonnie went to go look at the apartments. He and Daisy were standing catching up in the courtyard when the apartment manager appeared.<p>

"Pardon me, your majesty." The manager interrupted.

"How did it go?" Daisy questioned.

"The Satyam selected apartment eight and the Satyana selected apartment three." The manager stated and Damon looked surprised. He hadn't known that they were doing the apartment thing that day.

"Where are they now?" Damon asked her.

"They are familiarising themselves with their apartments, Ascension Prince." She replied.

"Please call me Damon." He requested and she glanced at Daisy who nodded her consent.

"Thank you, Madeira." Daisy replied. "Will there be any changes?"

"The Satyam's apartment is all decorated in similar colours then there is this random bright red bathroom, so he wishes for the bathroom to be changed." Madeira disclosed.

"Yes, that bathroom _is _hideous. I have no clue why the decorator thought that it was a good idea to put that in." Daisy muttered. "And will you make the arrangements for that?"

"Yes, my Queen. The idea books will be delivered to his room today." She assured.

"Excellent." Daisy agreed. "And the Satyana?"

"Her only request was for coverings for the couches should the young princess and prince be visiting, so that they would not ever need to be worried about making a mess." Madeira replied and Damon and Daisy couldn't help smiles on their faces at the fact Caroline was just so sweet all the time.

"I adore that girl already." Daisy commented and Damon wasn't going to say how much _he _already adored her too.

"She is most kind, my Queen." Madeira agreed. "Any who meet her will instantly put their faith in the Ascension… Damon." She corrected seeing his look.

"I am so glad that you feel that way. She has won everyone she has met here over already." Daisy smiled. "And what will you do about her request for coverings?"

"I will have fabric and colours sent to her for selection. I suggested that we could have them specially made to fit the furniture." Madeira replied.

"Yes, that is suitable." Daisy agreed. "Did you assure both of them that _any _needs or requests they have will be met?"

"Yes, your majesty." Madeira agreed.

"Wonderful." Daisy approved. "I think that is all the business that we have for the apartments today then."

"Thank you. I will take my leave then." She agreed.

"See you next week." Daisy said and she nodded then left.

"I'm going to head over and check out Ric's apartment." Damon commented.

"You need to go to the seamstress and choose your tunic for tonight." Daisy reminded him and he rolled his eyes.

"Why do I have to go to this crap?" Damon asked irritated.

"The dignitaries know that you will be there." Daisy replied softly and he scowled at her. "Please?" She requested.

"Fine. But I'm going to see Ric first." He cautioned and she sighed.

"See you tonight?" She asked and he nodded then turned on his heel and walked across the courtyard and through the arch heading for the apartments.

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><p>Ric was really surprised when there was a knock on the door. He'd been reading over his apartment book and was shocked at just how much was in it. He hurried to the door then opened it and cracked a grin.<p>

"Damon. You're out." He said pleased and Damon chuckled at how happy Ric looked to see him – that was new.

"May I come in?" Damon smirked.

"Yeah, of course. God, Damon. This place is fucking amazing." Ric remarked as Damon walked in. He glanced around at the apartment, taking it all in.

"This is _nice_." Damon approved because he totally _loved _it.

"It _so _is." Ric agreed.

"Where're the service buttons?" Damon asked.

"What do you mean?" Ric examined.

"The box with the buttons to call the butler." Damon answered and Ric looked surprised.

"Why?" He asked sceptically.

"To get bourbon." Damon retorted like it was obvious and Ric snickered – he hadn't expected that response, though he felt like he should have.

"You can seriously do that?" Ric asked amused.

"Watch." Damon smirked. "Where are they?" He asked and Ric pointed to a box on the wall in the hallway. Damon went over to it and pushed button number four.

"_This is the butler service, how may I help you?_" Came a male voice over the intercom and Damon winked at Ric and looked highly amused.

"This is the Ascension Prince. Can you have a bourbon selection sent up immediately, please?" Damon requested and Ric was trying not to laugh at Damon using his title.

"_Yes, right away, Ascension Prince. Are there any specific requirements?_"

"Just a good selection, so we can choose." Damon replied.

"_Absolutely. Would you like anything else sent up?_"

"Want anything else? Snacks or something?" Damon asked Ric away from the intercom.

"Uh… cashew nuts?" Ric questioned and Damon nodded.

"Send up cashew nuts and a chocolate ice cream sundae with whipped cream." Damon instructed with amusement.

"_Right away._" The man said then the static stopped.

"A sundae?" Ric laughed and Damon shrugged.

"I've been stuck in a cell for _days_. I want ice cream." Damon quipped and Ric shook with laughter at that. "Anyway, let's see this apartment." He said and Ric smiled then showed him around…

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><p>AN: The links to the apartments are on my profile. Please take a look because they're seriously_ gorgeous_ :D Let me know what you think of the chapter and/or apartments :D


	18. Terrace

I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

A/N: Next update should be up soon. Nearly finished the next chapter :)

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><p>His Secrets<p>

Chapter 18

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><p>About five minutes later, the door buzzed. Ric went to the door and there was the butler standing there with a trolley. On the top were the sundae and the nuts and on the bottom were ten bottles of bourbon.<p>

"Just leave all of them." Damon instructed and the butler nodded.

"Where would you like them?" The butler enquired.

"Just leave the trolley. We'll set it out into the hall for later collection." Damon answered.

"Of course." The butler nodded to him respectfully.

"Thank you." Ric said to him genuinely since Damon clearly had no manners.

"You're very welcome, Satyam. Do you require anything else?" He asked the two of them.

"No, that's fine." Damon assured. "Thanks." He added because Ric shot him a look. The butler smiled then left and Damon shut the door. "What?" He asked amused.

"Would it kill you to be polite? These people seriously bust their asses." Ric retorted and Damon shrugged.

"They seriously bust their asses because Daisy pays them a fortune." Damon countered. "That butler probably earns more in one year than you would earn if you were teaching for ten years." He disclosed and Ric's jaw dropped. "And all he has to do is deliver stuff and go get other stuff." Damon smirked. "Anyway, drinks on the roof terrace?" He grinned and Ric chuckled at him being so... _Damon_.

* * *

><p>They took the drinks up to the roof terrace and Damon took turns between drinking and devouring his sundae and Ric was highly amused by that.<p>

"So, do you like it here?" Damon examined.

"Hell yeah." Ric replied and Damon smirked – he was very pleased by that and he hoped that Ric would visit often.

"Think you'll stick around?" Damon asked.

"Well, school's over for the summer." Ric started. "It's not like I have family or anything in the other world… and there is _so much _to learn here." He commented.

"Mmm, Daisy said that Charlie's taking you to The Chronicles museum tomorrow." Damon replied and Ric bit his lip – he really didn't want to talk about _this_ with Damon. "Just one thing, Ric." He said and Ric was waiting for some kind of threat.

"What?" Ric tested.

"If you bring Charlie over to this apartment, just remember something." Damon started then smirked mischievously.

"And what's that?" Ric queried sceptically.

"Soundproof button." Damon quipped and Ric laughed in disbelief.

"Damon!" He exclaimed mortified and Damon shook with laughter at his embarrassed expression.

"Dude, stop being weird around me just because you totally have a thing for Charlotte. I told you already that it doesn't bother me." Damon smirked.

"But how can it _not _bother you?" Ric asked confused.

"Like I told you before, Charlie is a grown woman. She has been for over a century. Who she dates is none of my business and I never make it my business. She is more than capable of making all of her own decisions and has been for a long time. Yes, I am technically her father, but I haven't had to _be _a father to her for decades. She doesn't need a parent anymore. I'm her friend now and I just want her to be happy." Damon explained and Ric nodded in understanding – though, truthfully he was shocked that Damon was so _fine _with the idea of his friend with his daughter.

"So… you're fine with it if I ask her out?" Ric tested and Damon chuckled.

"If I give you _permission_, Charlotte will kick my ass. Ask _her_." Damon smirked and Ric laughed.

"Got it." Ric replied amused.

"By the way, I have yet to go pick a tunic for tonight. What did you get?" Damon queried.

"I have to colour match with Caroline and her gown is red, so my tunic is red with black and gold Celtic design around the neck and hem." Ric described and Damon nodded as he thought about that.

"Mine will have to be black and red then." Damon sighed as he had to match them even in just a small way.

"I saw Jonah in his little suit earlier and oh my God, he's so cute." Ric smiled and Damon laughed.

"He did look so cute in that." Damon agreed with a smile.

"How come Jonah can wear that little suit tonight but we have to wear totally medieval style tunics?" Ric asked amused and Damon rolled his eyes.

"He's not old enough to be a royal representative the way the other princes and princesses are. Neither is Valley. Until they're thirteen, they don't technically _have _to go to it. Jonah wanted to go and he wanted to wear a little suit, so that's what Charlotte got him." Damon answered and Ric nodded in understanding. "The tunics are a traditional thing."

"I have to wear a crown tonight." Ric commented and Damon shot him an amused look.

"That's funny." Damon said.

"You don't?" Ric queried.

"Nope. I'm not a royal yet." Damon replied.

"Will you after the ascension?" Ric asked and Damon sighed.

"Not if I can get away with it." Damon muttered. "But I'll have to sometimes. It seriously sucks." He complained.

"But, Damon… _everyone _has to wear one, so it's not a big deal." Ric placated and Damon nodded.

"I know. That's why I'm not point blank refusing. All of the kids are used to wearing them, you and Barbie will have to wear them at every function that you attend too, so it's not _that _terrible." Damon agreed.

"I'm looking forward to the function tonight." Ric smiled.

"The food will be great but the rest of it will probably be boring. Just schmoozing." Damon snarked and Ric chuckled.

"You know what's kind of weird?" Ric started.

"What?" Damon asked.

"I'm already responding to 'Satyam'. It gets my attention." Ric admitted and Damon chuckled.

"I told you that you'd get called that though. Has anyone except my family called you by your name?" Damon asked amused.

"No." Ric shook his head. "I like it though." Ric smirked and Damon laughed. "So, how come you didn't just teleport up here?"

"It's not possible to teleport into the royal apartments without your permission. Not even Daisy can do it." Damon disclosed surprising him. "This is your private home here now and nobody has the right to enter it, not even the Queen, without your permission." Damon added.

"Madeira said something that I didn't understand earlier." Ric began and Damon nodded for him to continue. "She said something like, if I want to plan an event, what does that mean?"

"Daisy's Amicus is the palace dignitary specialist. He knows everything about all of them and sometimes he hosts dinner parties in his apartment when certain ones that he's friends with come to visit, so he'll contact the personal advisor who then contacts the palace event planner, who'll come up with menus and themes for the evening, etcetera, then the Amicus just picks what he wants and it's all organised. Daisy's Amissa is her personal councillor who goes everywhere with her and sometimes she'll host private parties at her home for Daisy and their friends, not in an official setting but just a regular at home party or dinner event." Damon explained. "You don't _have _to take on any responsibilities. The Amicus is over two thousand years old, he was one of Daisy's two for seven hundred years and did nothing except travel, have fun and live his life then one day he decided that he wanted to work, so he had a few different jobs around the Dark Dimension then eventually applied to be the palace dignitary specialist." Damon revealed.

"So, I _could _work here?" Ric examined and Damon nodded.

"There are several schools and universities here if you wanted to keep teaching. You'd have to do a small course just to learn the schooling system because it's totally different but otherwise you could do that. Or there are like a zillion other things that you could do then there are also palace positions too." Damon described. "Caroline's going to be my personal councillor because I figured that you would live in the other dimension." He said and Ric thought about that. "But again, you don't _have _to work because you already have unlimited money, so you could travel the world here and see how different it is in comparison to the other dimension or you could take classes or just _party_." Damon smirked and Ric laughed at that.

"So, basically, what you're saying is, the Dark Dimension is my oyster." Ric said and Damon chuckled.

"Yes. You can do whatever you want." Damon agreed. "There are lots of fun things that happen around this world too, like festivals and events. So, you could check stuff like that out. There are a lot of museums and libraries, historical sites and other stuff that'll get the little nerd in you all excited." Damon teased and Ric snickered.

"I have to say, I can't wait to go to The Chronicles Museum tomorrow. Charlotte told me quite a bit about it and I'm going to be totally geeked-out." Ric grinned and Damon laughed.

"Yeah, The Chronicles is a cool place. That's a nice city too." Damon commented.

"Charlotte said that it's only an hour away." Ric replied and Damon nodded.

"The Chronicles has information about _everything _to do with this world, so you'll also be able to find out more about other places in the world." Damon mentioned.

"How would I arrange something like that here?" Ric questioned.

"You mean if you wanted to visit another country in The Dark Dimension?" Damon asked for clarification and Ric nodded. "You can go down to the palace office and just tell them where you want to go, how long for and when or you can go down to the travel agent office in the city. It just depends on what kind of trip it is. The palace arranged trips are great because it's palace travel, so it's all top notch, but they can be a bit… restrictive as you are then registered as a travelling royal. But if you want freedom to just roam around wherever you're going, the travel agent is better." Damon answered.

"And is that covered with the credits key?" Ric queried and Damon nodded.

"_Everything _you want is covered by the credits key." Damon replied. "If, for example, you found another country that you really liked, you could buy a house there with your credits key." He said and Ric looked shocked.

"Are you _joking_?" He asked in disbelief and Damon snickered.

"Nope. First thing I'm doing when I get my unlimited key is I'm going to Maverna, which is the Dark Dimension version of the Caribbean and I'm getting myself a beach house and a yacht." Damon smirked and Ric laughed loudly.

"That's hilarious." Ric remarked.

"Daisy has this great house in what would be the equivalent of Austria, up in the mountains. Might get something like that too." Damon commented amused.

"Wouldn't you just stay at Daisy's?" Ric probed sceptically.

"Well, it wouldn't be in _that _location… and no, because that's covered in servants too. I want a few homes here away from all of the servants crap." Damon muttered.

"How can you not like that though?" Ric asked and Damon sighed.

"It's cool at first being able to have whatever you want when you want it but doing _nothing _for yourself gets incredibly boring after a while." Damon admitted.

"Fair enough." Ric conceded. "Where's your room in the palace?"

"Not too far from yours. Do you know where Jonah's room is?" He asked and Ric nodded.

"Yeah, next to the history library." Ric answered.

"Right. Well, if you walk past Jonah's room you get to a hallway, if you take that down to the left it's the last room on the left." Damon answered and Ric mapped that out in his head as he'd familiarised himself with the palace quite a bit.

"Will that change when you ascend?" Ric queried and Damon sighed.

"I'm supposed to move up to the top floor of the right wing, just like Daisy lives on the top floor of the left wing. It's kind of like a royal apartment, but I've had the same room for like a hundred years, so I'm not moving up there." Damon muttered.

* * *

><p>At just before 5pm there was another knock on Ric's door and he was curious as to who it would be, so he hurried down and opened the door and found Caroline and Bonnie standing there.<p>

"Hey, come in." Ric invited them with smiles. "Come upstairs." Ric bid, closing the door. The girls followed him upstairs onto the terrace and they were both surprised to see Damon sitting there.

"So, they finally let you out of the dungeon, huh?" Bonnie teased and Damon rolled his eyes.

"That's _your _fault, you know. There wouldn't be a stupid 'introduction evening' tonight if you'd just come days ago." Damon muttered and she and Ric chuckled at him being such an ass. Caroline felt a teeny bit awkward but decided just to pretend like nothing happened as she took the seat next to Damon and Bonnie sat on her other side.

"Did you have ice cream?" Caroline asked him amused and he smirked.

"Chocolate sundae. It was _awesome_." Damon remarked and they laughed.

"That's so funny." Bonnie commented smiling.

"So, what do you think of Ric's apartment?" Caroline queried.

"Way better than _mine_." Damon quipped and they laughed.

"What one did you choose?" Ric asked her.

"The third floor apartment in the other building. It's amazing. There's a home cinema room." She grinned and they were entertained by how elated she was. "I can't _wait _to throw a party." She said excitedly and they chuckled.

"You're throwing a party already?" Ric asked her amused.

"Oh, yeah." Caroline grinned. "Well, Noelle and I are throwing a _joint _party. So, I'm sure if I let that crazy chick have half of the control, the whole place will be trashed after like five minutes." She smirked and they laughed, Damon especially. He was highly amused by that.

"You're really getting along well with her, huh?" Ric smiled.

"No, that's not the right term. I'm like a _fan _of Noelle's. Like, if they made t-shirts with her face on them, I'd totally wear them." Caroline quipped and they guffawed loudly at that.

"What?" Damon laughed.

"She's not even joking. The other night, Noelle set someone on fire for smacking her ass and Caroline immediately got her phone out and found a marker and got Noelle to autograph the back of her phone." Bonnie giggled and they laughed.

"That's so funny." Damon shook with laughter. Caroline held up her phone and they saw the black autograph and they only laughed louder.

"Have you asked Charlie out yet?" Caroline smirked at Ric who instantly looked embarrassed and the other three snickered.

"No, not yet." Damon replied amused.

"Are you going to?" Caroline asked.

"You really _should_." Bonnie chimed in and Damon and Caroline chuckled at the witch.

"Uh… can we not talk about this?" Ric mumbled and they laughed at him being all embarrassed.

"Why? Just because Damon's here?" Caroline questioned and Damon shot her an amused look for that.

"Fine." Ric muttered. "Yes, I'm going to ask her out. Happy?" He asked them and they laughed.

"Yes." Caroline grinned. "Have you been to see Etana yet?" She asked Damon and he looked at her confused.

"Who the hell's Etana?" Damon queried and she shot him a look for not knowing that.

"The seamstress." She replied like it was obvious and he rolled his eyes.

"No." He said.

"But the event's in two hours. Etana can't go home until everyone's been fitted for their clothing." She pointed out and he sighed.

"Are you going to nag if I don't go now?" Damon asked her.

"Yes." She answered.

"Fine." He muttered then disappeared in a blink and Ric and Bonnie chortled.

"Since when do you have Damon wrapped around your finger?" Bonnie teased.

"I don't. He just knows that he has responsibilities. Besides, it's my job now to nag at him." Caroline defended.

"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked confused.

"Damon appointed Caroline as his personal councillor." Ric smirked and Bonnie chuckled in understanding as _everyone _knew.

"This is so funny." Bonnie said to Ric who nodded in agreement amused.

"What's funny?" Caroline asked confused.

"Nothing, Care." Bonnie giggled and Caroline shot her a look.

"So, you're picking me up from my room at 7.15pm, right?" She asked Ric, ignoring Bonnie, who nodded his confirmation. Ric was her 'date' for the event as the royals were to go to events as a pair. Bonnie was going with Daniel, Charlotte was going with Daisy's son, Jameson, who also lived in the palace, Noelle was going with Daisy's son, Marcellus, who lived in a nearby city and was able to attend the evening event, and of course Daisy was going with Damon. Jonah was going to be seated with Charlotte and Valentina was going to be seated with Noelle…

* * *

><p>AN: Next chapter is the function :) Ric & Damon's tunics will be on my profile :D


	19. First Function

I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

A/N: All of the gowns, circlets and jewelry is listed on my profile with links :) Have a look and let me know what you think :D

For the few of you who are reading this, I'll try to update more often.

* * *

><p>His Secrets<p>

Chapter 19

* * *

><p>Daisy stood in her halter peacock gown with her hair curled, dark makeup and her black and dark green crown a-top her head. Around her neck sat a V-shaped necklace covered in diamonds with a drop emerald at the bottom and she had earrings to match. Damon stood beside her in his black tunic with small red embroidery along the hem and neckline, black leather belt around his waist and a pair of traditional black trousers. They stood inside of the banquet hall together and greeted guests as they arrived and posed for official event photographs. Charlotte and Jameson appeared first out of Damon and Daisy's children.<p>

Charlotte's dress was a pale teal blue strapless dress with beading down the bodice. Around her neck sat an ornate blue sapphire and diamond necklace and she had earrings to match. Her hair was pinned up and across her forehead sat her delicate silver circlet. Her arm was through Jameson's arm and in her other hand, little Jonah was holding on tightly with a big grin on his face because he was getting to wear his little suit. He didn't have a circlet yet as he wasn't old enough for one. They went over to Daisy and Damon and greeted them and took photographs. Jonah was thrilled to see his daddy and Damon gave him a hug and promised to find him soon, just as soon as he finished greeting everyone and Jonah was more than happy with that – because he got to come to the party in his cute little suit.

Bonnie and Daniel appeared next. Bonnie was wearing a one strap golden satin and chiffon gown with embroidery over the bust and layers in the skirt. Her hair was straight and styled half up and half down. Around her head sat an intricate silver circlet with golden leaves decorating it and on her neck sat a tri-colour gold necklace and she had golden studs in her ears. Daniel wore a khaki green tunic with a white stripe across the hemline and sleeves, a black belt around his waist and a plain silver band circlet on his head with a silver dragon decorating the front. They went over to Daisy and Damon, greeted them, the press took photographs then they were escorted to their seats at a different table from where Charlotte and Noelle were sitting.

Damon heard laughter and knew that it was Noelle and Caroline coming towards the hall and his stomach fluttered as Noelle had said that Caroline's dress was _unbelievable_. Noelle came into view chuckling over her shoulder. She held onto Marcellus' arm and he looked highly amused as well at whatever the girls had been laughing about. Valentina was holding Marcellus' hand and she was wearing a light blue child's ball gown with a sequinned top half and a floaty ball skirt. Her hair was down and straight and she had her silver woven circlet on her head. Noelle, however, waited just in the door and Damon knew that it was because she wanted to see his reaction.

Caroline and Ric walked in right behind them and Damon couldn't help his jaw dropping. Her hair was in tousled waves, she had black smoky eye shadow on, blood-red lipstick staining her lips, her face was flawless – and the gown? Damon had never seen a gown look so _incredible _on anyone. She looked the epitome of royalty with her crown and her dark red garnet and diamond jewels. She had Ric by the arm and he wore the red tunic with a black leather belt around his waist and black trousers and his circlet was a gold v-shaped circlet with leaf designs. The five of them made their way over to Daisy and Noelle shot Damon an amused look for his 'catching flies' moment, so he snapped his jaw closed and concentrated on indifference before Caroline, or God forbid, _Daisy_,caught him.

"Hi, Daddy!" Valentina smiled at him widely as she hadn't seen him out of the cell yet.

"You look beautiful, Valley." Damon smiled back then leaned down and kissed her head.

"She does, doesn't she?" Noelle piped in.

"Caroline. You look simply exquisite." Daisy grinned at her and Caroline blushed at the queen's compliment.

"She does, doesn't she?" Noelle smirked at Damon who was trying not to gulp.

"Thanks, Daisy. You look fabulous. I love that gown." Caroline complimented genuinely.

"I'm quite liking the peacock style. I've already got the seamstress working on another one." Daisy smiled. "If you have any requests for future gowns, just go down and tell her and she'll make it for you." Daisy suggested.

"Thanks." Caroline smiled. "I'll have a think about it. I really like this one though." She said tapping her gown.

"Red is definitely your colour." Noelle agreed. "Oh, by the way." Noelle said to the servant who was there to direct them to their seats.

"Yes, Princess?" He asked.

"Make sure that the Satyana and I are seated together." Noelle instructed then waved her hand to shoo him away and he turned around and went to the table and Ric, Damon, Caroline and Marcellus were shaking with laughter at her 'shooing' gesture.

"I swear, I love you more every minute." Caroline said to her with a giggle and they all laughed at that.

"Noelle, these events are important." Daisy chastised.

"Yes, Daisy. So you've said. It went in one ear and out the other then too." Noelle retorted and Damon couldn't help a laugh at both her comment and her dry tone – he loved her bluntness.

"Noelle, don't be rude to your mother." Damon remarked amused and they all knew that he wasn't really telling her off because he found it funny.

"Watch it or you'll be Damon again." Noelle pointed out and Damon deadpanned at her making them chuckle as they all knew that he hated that.

"Go be difficult elsewhere. We have people to schmooze." Damon muttered and they were all shaking with laughter at that.

"Right away, Princey." Noelle winked at him and Caroline giggled.

"Did you tell her to say that?" Damon asked Caroline cocking an eyebrow.

"Oh, Damon. You know fine well that there's no telling Noelle to do anything." Caroline smirked and he and Noelle chuckled.

"Fine." Damon accepted with amusement.

* * *

><p>They posed for a couple of photos and one in particular was taken with Damon, Caroline and Ric together as they were the 'new royals'. After everyone was seated, Damon and Daisy took their seats next to each other at the head table. Dinner was served soon after, drinks were flowing, conversation was going well, Ric and Caroline were getting along extremely well with everyone at their table. They were asked questions, they asked the others questions and all-in-all they made a very good impression on the dignitaries.<p>

After dinner, Daisy gave a short speech, she introduced Bonnie as a Dark Dimension princess and she also mentioned that she was so pleased that the Satyam and Satyana were there to celebrate the evening with them too. More drinks were served then music played and some dancing started. It wasn't long before little Jonah appeared beside Caroline.

"Care?" Jonah asked and Caroline turned to look at him with a grin.

"Well, hello, little prince." She smiled. "You look so handsome tonight." She commented and he grinned at her and reddened.

"You're the most beautiful girl in the world." He told her shyly and Noelle, Ric and Marcellus chuckled at how cute the tiny boy was and Caroline blushed and melted on the spot.

"Thank you. You're very sweet." She said giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Would you dance with me?" He asked her bashfully and she smiled and totally melted again at the fact that she knew that it took a lot of courage for him to ask her that, but he plucked it up and asked anyway – there wasn't a chance in _hell _that she was going to say no.

"I would love to." She accepted and he smiled surprised.

"How's that going to work?" Noelle teased amused by her little brother's crush.

"Don't you worry about that." Caroline hushed her not wanting to embarrass the cute little boy. Caroline stood up and took his outstretched hand and they walked over to the dance floor. Daisy spotted it and she nudged Damon with a grin and he looked. He saw Jonah leading Caroline out to dance and he officially melted at the fact she _would _go dance with him – it only made him like her more. They saw that several dignitaries were looking on at them thinking that it was very sweet. Jonah held both of her hands then tried to dance her around a little bit and she giggled and let him. He was blushing and was so cute that she couldn't help going along with it. Eventually she picked him up, he sat at her waist so that she was the one doing the dancing and he just held her hand and talked to her. After the song was finished, she sent him down, thanked him for the dance and he kissed her hand like a little gentleman which made her blush and practically everyone in the room was smiling at them.

"May I, Satyana?" She heard from behind her then turned around to see one of the nice dignitaries that she'd been introduced to at her table.

"Of course, Governor Polsnic." Caroline smiled and accepted his hand.

* * *

><p>Over an hour later, Daisy leaned over to Damon.<p>

"What?" He asked her hushed.

"Go ask Caroline to dance, she hasn't been back at the table since Jonah asked her and it's only been people that she doesn't know who have asked. Ric's busy dancing with Charlotte." She mumbled.

"Fine." He shrugged – not like he was going to say no to that. Just as the song ended, Damon sauntered up to her. "Got another one left in you?" He tested and Caroline smiled and took his hand. He pulled her into him and put his hand at her waist and she had her free hand against his chest.

"About time." She whispered and Damon chuckled.

"Why?" He asked her amused and she leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"Because I don't know any of these people." She whispered so quietly that nobody else would have heard and he smirked at her amused. He could see that Noelle looked mighty pleased about Damon and Caroline dancing from where she was dancing with Daniel.

"It was so cute when you danced with Jonah." Damon commented and she smiled.

"He's like a miniature gentleman." She grinned. "He's such a sweetheart." She added and he chuckled.

"He came over and told me that he was so pleased that he got to dance with you first before anyone else did." Damon smirked and she giggled.

"Can I keep him?" She requested and he laughed.

"You know, normally I'd think such a request was ludicrous but in this case, I think Jonah would go willingly." Damon teased and she smiled.

"_So_ keeping him." She quipped and Damon snickered – he oddly loved that she liked his children so much.

"He's right though." Damon commented.

"About?" She asked curiously then Damon leaned into her ear.

"You _are _the most beautiful girl in the world." He whispered and her stomach was full of butterflies.

"You can't say that." Caroline chastised hushed.

"But it's true." He shrugged as he twirled her then pulled her back in.

"So…" She said and he smirked at her blush.

"So." He repeated.

"I don't know what you were complaining about tonight for. It's been great." She noted and he chuckled at her changing the subject.

"It's not all bad." He agreed while pulling her closer and she blinked a couple of times knowing what he meant.

"Now's not the time." She cautioned and he looked at her curiously knowing what she meant.

"Then when _is_?" He pushed.

"Can we talk about this _later_?" She mumbled and he smirked.

"But you _won't _talk about it later given that you ran away earlier." He pointed out – she knew that he wasn't wrong… but at the party? They couldn't talk about that on the dance floor at an official _supernatural _royal party.

"It's too soon." She stated seriously and he sighed.

"But you're not saying never?" He tested hushed.

"No." She replied staring into his eyes and he gave her a small smile for that.

"Good." He approved.

* * *

><p>After the dignitaries left, Noelle grabbed Caroline's hand and twirled her and she giggled.<p>

"What are you doing?" Caroline asked amused.

"I don't know. I've had to drink quite a bit just to keep myself awake." Noelle joked and Caroline laughed.

"Why don't we go get changed then head into the city?" Caroline grinned.

"You do know that palace life was never fun before you, right?" Noelle smirked and Caroline smiled.

"Life in general wasn't fun before you." Caroline replied and Noelle grinned at her.

"See? I told my dad we'd be besties in no time." Noelle winked at her and Caroline giggled.

* * *

><p>Caroline and Noelle's eyes fluttered open the following morning to loud laughter. They groaned and held their heads then sat up. They looked around a little and realised that they had been sleeping on the grass next to the courtyard and it was the morning.<p>

"How the hell…?" Caroline trailed off looking around and there was still loud laughter. They looked over and saw Damon, Charlotte and Ric in peals of laughter at the fact the two of them had clearly passed out drunk on the grass.

"I have no _idea _how we got home." Noelle muttered and Caroline groaned.

"Me neither." Caroline mumbled and Noelle giggled.

"What the hell were you two doing?" Damon laughed.

"I have no idea." Noelle admitted and they chortled.

"I need a shower. I smell like grass." Caroline said with distaste and the laughing only continued. "Though, I'm pretty sure you tried to ride a hellhound last night." She quipped to Noelle and they all guffawed at the thought of that. "What time is it?" Caroline yawned.

"9.30am." Damon answered and Caroline's eyes widened.

"Crap." She muttered then awkwardly stood up in her short strapless dress. She held her hand out to Noelle who took it then Caroline pulled her up to her feet.

"Why?" Ric asked amused by the two crazy girls.

"I have to be at the school for 10am." Caroline murmured.

"Why?" Damon tested confused as he didn't know anything about that.

"To hand in Valentina's signed papers." Caroline responded like he should have known that.

"I haven't signed them yet." Damon commented.

"Damon!" Caroline groaned annoyed.

"What?" He asked amused by her getting all annoyed with him.

"They need to be processed today so that she can start tomorrow." Caroline replied irritated.

"Dad, just go sign the papers." Noelle instructed. "You go shower. I'll bug him." She assured Caroline who nodded then disappeared in a blink.

"Why does she have to hand in papers on the dot at 10am?" Damon queried sceptically.

"She has an appointment with Headmaster Brown at 10am." Charlotte replied and Damon rolled his eyes.

"For what? Valley already chose the classes." Damon pointed out.

"Yeah, but she didn't choose her extracurricular classes as she couldn't do that until the core classes were consented to by a parent." Charlotte elaborated.

"Wait – is Valley going too?" Damon examined.

"Yeah, obviously." Noelle replied. "Though, I kind of want to tag along too just to get an introduction with Mr Perfect." She grinned and Damon shot her a look for thinking that the stupid headmaster was so attractive.

"Mr Perfect?" Ric asked sceptically.

"He is _so _hot." Noelle disclosed.

"Gorgeous." Charlotte agreed.

"Lucky bitch." Noelle smirked and Ric and Charlotte laughed.

"Dad, please go get the papers?" Charlotte asked him kindly.

"Fine." Damon muttered then disappeared in a blink.

"He's so jealous. It's totally cute." Noelle quipped and Ric and Charlotte laughed in disbelief at her being _so _blunt about what everybody knew but nobody was talking about.

"Noelle, that's not nice." Charlotte reprimanded.

"The truth is rarely _nice_, Char." Noelle smirked and they snickered at the blunt raven-haired beauty.

"Isn't that the no-go area for conversation?" Ric joked.

"What? Dad's huge crush on Caroline?" Charlotte asked amused and he and Noelle giggled.

"Yeah." Ric confirmed.

"It might be a no-go area for conversation but I think that _everyone _knows." Charlotte quipped playfully.

"Speaking of what _everyone _knows." Noelle smirked – she wasn't going to let them talk about her dad without being teased in return. "Are you two going on a date yet or what?" She asked and they both blushed.

* * *

><p>Caroline had a vampire speed shower, quickly did her hair and make-up then pulled on a light grey tailored skirt suit, a cream blouse and black high-heeled pumps. She hurried out of the room and back down to the courtyard where Valentina was waiting with Damon, Noelle, Charlotte and Ric.<p>

"Well, that was quite the transformation." Noelle quipped teasingly and Caroline giggled.

"Yeah, yeah." Caroline smirked. "Did you sign them?" She questioned Damon who nodded then handed her the papers. "Thanks. Ready, Valley?" She asked and Valentina smiled at her.

"I'm ready." She agreed.

"Awesome. Let's go then." She said. "Someone remind me to burn these shoes later." She muttered and they snickered while she and Valentina hurried out of the courtyard towards the exit.

"You have to agree, she completely _rocks_ a skirt suit." Noelle smirked and they laughed at the impression that Caroline had clearly made on Noelle.

"You would totally wear a t-shirt with her face on it, wouldn't you?" Ric teased and they laughed. Damon was amused by that as Caroline had said that about Noelle the day before.

"Totally." Noelle agreed amused and they laughed at her admitting it.

"Dad?" Charlotte smiled.

"What?" Damon asked her.

"Don't you think Caroline looked lovely in her suit?" Charlotte smiled innocently and he deadpanned at the fact that she was totally mocking him. Did _everyone _know about this?

"Don't you two have a museum date to get to?" Damon retorted dryly and Ric, Charlotte and Noelle shook with laughter because he didn't deny it.

* * *

><p>Caroline and Valentina were escorted into the school down to the headmaster's office. They went inside and Valentina chose two extracurricular activities then left the room to get the print-out from the receptionist while Caroline stayed behind.<p>

"So… did you speak to the Queen?" Tomer examined and Caroline smiled.

"I did. She has no problems." Caroline responded.

"Are you free tonight?" He asked her.

"Could we possibly make it tomorrow instead? My friend is here visiting and she goes back to the other dimension tomorrow." Caroline countered and he smiled.

"Yes, absolutely." He agreed.

"Can I borrow a pen and paper?" Caroline bid and he nodded then went to his desk and retrieved what she had requested. He handed it to her and she wrote down her new Dark Dimension cell phone number on the paper. "There's my number. Call me and we'll arrange the details." She remarked while handing him back the pen and paper.

"I will." He promised pleased that he was getting a date with her.

"See you tomorrow, Tomer." She smiled.

"I look forward to it, Caroline." He smiled back…

* * *

><p>AN: Let me know what you think :) Links are on my profile.


	20. Jealous

I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

A/N: So, I'd love to hear from the people who are reading this, what character interactions would you like to see? I mainly got requests for more D/C, so that's why there's been a lot of that in the last few chapters, but are there any other character bonding scenes that you'd like to see?

* * *

><p>His Secrets<p>

Chapter 20

* * *

><p>"Can I see your apartment?" Valentina requested as they walked back into the palace.<p>

"Of course." Caroline grinned. "Why don't we go get Jonah then we can have lunch together up there on the balcony?" She suggested and she smiled.

"That sounds fun." Valentina agreed.

"Great. Why don't you run down to the playroom and I'll meet you there in two minutes. I'm just going to change into more comfortable clothes." Caroline proposed.

"Okay." Valentina smiled. They parted ways in the lobby then Valentina hurried down to the playroom and found Damon, Noelle and Jonah there.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Damon queried.

"I chose debate and choir." Valentina responded happily with a smile.

"Good." Damon approved.

"Where's Caroline?" Noelle inquired.

"She went to change her clothes." Valentina answered. "I asked to see her apartment, is it okay if Jonah and I go see it, Daddy?"

"Yeah, of course." Damon nodded.

"Caroline suggested that we eat our lunch up there. Is that okay?" Valley tested.

"Mmhmm." Damon consented.

"I'm going too. I haven't seen it yet." Noelle voiced and Damon chuckled.

"What? What am I going to do then?" Damon questioned.

"Come with us." Noelle said like it was obvious.

"Can you keep your ideas to yourself?" Damon muttered.

"Yeah, obviously." Noelle rolled her eyes at her silly dad.

"So, we're having lunch with Caroline, Daddy?" Jonah grinned.

"She's going to show us her apartment." Valentina smiled at him and he beamed at his sister for arranging that.

"Do you think that Caroline would mind if I kept a box of Legos there?" Jonah examined surprising Noelle and Damon that he obviously thought that he'd want to spend a lot of time there.

"No, she wouldn't mind." Noelle assured and he grinned.

"Which one should I take?" Jonah asked.

"Whichever one you want, son." Damon answered just as Caroline wandered into the playroom wearing tight jean shorts, a red and white striped tube top with silver wedge-heeled sandals on her feet and her hair in a ponytail – Damon felt like he should really stop being so surprised every time he saw her because she _always _looked so hot.

"Hi, Caroline!" Jonah grinned at her.

"Good morning, handsome." She winked at him and he blushed bashfully which made Noelle chuckle at her little brother's crush – it was so cute, she thought.

"Care?" He asked.

"What?" She smiled, happy that he felt comfortable enough with her to call her that.

"Can I take a box of Legos?" Jonah requested.

"To the apartment?" She asked and he nodded. "Yeah, of course." She nodded.

"Can I keep it there?" He tested and she smiled.

"You can keep anything you want there, little prince." She promised and he grinned at her because he liked when she called him that. Damon thought she was too cute – not that anyone would be surprised, considering he was so _obvious_.

"Dad and I are tagging along. I want to see this apartment that I'm moving into." Noelle commented and Caroline giggled.

"You _what_?" Damon blurted in disbelief that his crazy daughter was going to be _living _with the girl he wanted.

"Care and I are going to be roomies." Noelle grinned and Damon chuckled in incredulity. "Was Mr Dreamy extra dreamy?" Noelle asked Caroline with a smirk and Damon had to fight an eye-roll at her trying to make him jealous.

"Totally." Caroline winked at her and Noelle laughed while Damon fought a scowl because he totally _was _jealous.

"Let's go." Noelle encouraged.

"What box are you taking, handsome?" Caroline smiled at Jonah.

"Uh… this one." Jonah pointed to a box that had smaller legos that you could make bridges out of. Caroline went over to it then picked it up and he smiled at her then held his hand up to her and she took it. Damon and Noelle were highly amused at the little boy being so smitten with her.

* * *

><p>The five of them wandered over to the apartments, though Damon took the box of Legos from Caroline since she had Jonah by the hand. They took the elevator up to the third floor then Caroline opened the door and they went inside to her new royal apartment.<p>

"This place is beautiful." Noelle noted with approval.

"Go take a look around." Caroline encouraged. "I'll get drinks." She said and Noelle nodded then jogged upstairs. Caroline went into the kitchen and Damon and the two kids followed her in.

"I like it." Jonah said to her looking around.

"Me too." Caroline smiled. "What do you want to drink, Jonah?"

"Is there juice?" He asked her.

"Yep. I went and got apple and orange." Caroline confirmed.

"Apple, please." He requested.

"Me too, please." Valentina agreed.

"Damon?" Caroline asked as she opened the fridge to get the carton and he spotted how much stuff she had in there already.

"Where'd you get all of the stuff?" He queried.

"I ran down to the supermarket yesterday before Bonnie and I went up to Ric's." Caroline explained and he chuckled.

"You know that there's a butler service for that, right?" He smirked at her and she shrugged.

"I wasn't busy." She mollified and he gave her a small smile for just being so nice all the time. "I have bourbon." She commented amused.

"Good. I'll have that then." He winked at her and she nodded then took out the bottle from the cupboard. She poured the two drinks for the kids then handed them over to them and they thanked her then she gave Damon his drink just as Noelle was coming into the kitchen.

"Love it. Have you picked a bedroom yet?" Noelle probed.

"No, they're both great, so you pick first." Caroline stimulated.

"It's _your _apartment, Care." Noelle pointed out.

"But like I said, I like both of them, so it really doesn't matter." Caroline countered.

"Can I take the one overlooking the city?" She asked.

"Yeah, that's fine." Caroline smiled. "What are you drinking?"

"I'll have apple juice too, please." Noelle said and Caroline nodded then poured another glass and handed it to her. "Thanks." She acknowledged then Caroline poured herself a glass of orange juice.

"Are we still going swimming today?" Jonah asked Caroline.

"Sure. We can go after our lunch goes down." Caroline agreed. "Do you want to go to the pool or the beach?"

"The pool is way better than the beach." Noelle remarked.

"Why?" Jonah asked Noelle curiously.

"Because you don't get sand in your crack at the pool." Noelle quipped and they all laughed loudly at that – Damon couldn't believe that she actually said that to the tiny boy.

"What's a crack?" Jonah asked innocently and they chuckled because he was so cute.

"Your bottom." Noelle clarified and Jonah made a face at her.

"Why would sand get in your bottom at the beach?" Jonah asked confused and they snickered because he was only getting cuter.

"It just happens. There's no explanation. You don't even have to sit down. Just walking on the beach will do it." Noelle smirked and the adults chortled.

"Now stop telling Jonah stuff like that." Damon sanctioned amused.

"Fine." Noelle agreed with a wink.

"Can we go see the balcony?" Valentina asked Caroline with a smile.

"Valley, make yourself at home. You can go look at whatever you want." Caroline answered sincerely and Valentina smiled then set her glass down and hurried out of the room to go explore the apartment.

"Valley! Wait!" Jonah exclaimed then gave Noelle his glass and hurried after his sister.

"You totally want to be the favourite, don't you?" Noelle teased and she and Damon laughed at that.

"No, not the favourite. I just want them to be comfortable with me." Caroline responded.

"Is it possible not to be?" Noelle examined sceptically and she and Damon chuckled.

"Barbie, you do know that Nonnie's you're biggest fan now, right?" Damon smirked and Caroline smiled.

"Works both ways, Princey." Caroline quipped and Noelle laughed knowing that Caroline had only called him that because he'd called her 'Nonnie' and Caroline knew that she didn't like that.

"Are you ever going to stop that?" Damon deadpanned and Caroline pretended to think about it.

"Never." Caroline denied and Noelle laughed loudly while Damon smirked.

"Ooh, you got your necklace!" Noelle exclaimed pleased as it was visible above Caroline's top.

"I did. Daisy gave it to me yesterday just before the hearing." Caroline agreed.

"Okay, you have to tell Daisy to spell it so that one of the places is Zarjev." Noelle directed and Damon sniggered in understanding.

"What's that?" Caroline asked.

"A party island. It's _awesome_." Noelle grinned and Caroline laughed.

"Well, I can take a passenger as long as it's within this dimension." Caroline smirked and Noelle and Damon snickered.

"This is going to be so much fun." Noelle commented pleased and Caroline smiled at her while Damon smirked at his wild daughter. "You used it yet?"

"No, not yet. I'm going to the day after tomorrow, though." Caroline responded.

"To go where?" Noelle queried.

"Mystic Falls." Caroline replied and they both frowned.

"Why?" Damon asked sceptically.

"Just to get the rest of my stuff from my room." Caroline shrugged. "Since I'm living here permanently, there's no point in keeping stuff there." She added.

"Awesome." Noelle approved.

"_Daddy?_" They heard Jonah call.

"What, Jonah?" Damon called back.

"_Can you come here?_" Jonah requested and Damon chuckled then left the room to go see what Jonah wanted – though, he decided to keep his hearing focused in case Caroline and Noelle were going to talk about anything he wanted to know about. Noelle glanced down the hall after him then bent over the kitchen counter.

"What happened with super sexy Headmaster Brown?" Noelle whispered with a grin and Caroline giggled at her trying to be all 'stealthy' about it.

"We're going out tomorrow night." Caroline whispered back and Noelle's grin only widened.

"He's so hot. Lucky bitch." Noelle snarked and Caroline laughed.

"Who knows? He might have hot friends." Caroline winked at her and Noelle chuckled.

"You're the best friend ever." Noelle grinned.

* * *

><p>A short while later, Caroline popped downstairs to whip up some lunch while Damon, Noelle, Valentina and Jonah stayed out on the balcony. Valentina and Jonah were playing Legos together and Damon made an excuse to Noelle to go get another drink. He wandered into the kitchen and found Caroline wrapping seasoned and buttered potatoes in tin foil to oven bake.<p>

"That'll be good. What are you adding to it?" He queried.

"I was thinking a pepper salad and cheese." Caroline replied and he nodded in approval.

"So… why are you going out with Headmaster Brown?" Damon questioned bluntly while leaning against the counter next to her and Caroline tried her best not to gulp at the fact that they were clearly going to talk about it.

"He's nice." Caroline shrugged without making eye contact.

"Is that all?" Damon pushed and she shot him a confused look.

"What else would there be?" She asked as she went over to the fridge to put the butter back in. When she turned around, Damon was right in front of her and he put his hands on either side of her on the fridge, effectively caging her in.

"Are you trying to make me jealous?" He inquired and she sighed then leaned her back against the fridge.

"No." She repudiated and he cocked an eyebrow.

"Then… care to explain?" He requested.

"You're married." She pointed out.

"Technicality." He refuted.

"Well, you're still _technically _together, so you really have no reason to be getting pissed at me considering _I _am single and _you _are _not_." She continued and he looked at her in contemplation.

"Is your objection that I'm technically married on a piece of paper or that Daisy and I haven't officially called it quits yet?" He quizzed.

"I don't know, Damon. This all happened very fast." Caroline muttered. "I haven't really had time to process all of it yet." She admitted.

"What happened fast?" He queried and she sighed at the fact he was being a difficult ass as usual.

"Why do I have to say it, when you know the answer already?" She retorted and he leaned in and rested his forehead against hers.

"Because I've practically only thought about you since that kiss. You're like the highlight of my day every day." He admitted and she swallowed – she had to fight every urge she had to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him for that comment because she was kind of melting into a puddle.

"But it's too soon. I told you that." She countered in a small voice. She wasn't shocked because she wasn't _stupid_. Damon was _ridiculously _obvious when he liked someone, so she'd definitely noticed.

"What did you mean though?" He examined pulling his head back a little to stare into her eyes.

"I just got to this world. I'm trying my best to fit in and make friends with your family and it's been like a week, Damon. If whatever this is between us doesn't work then they're still _your_ family." She explained and understanding washed over him. He did see her point but he didn't see why it _wouldn't _work.

"But it hasn't been just a week for me." He confessed and she looked surprised that he would admit that.

"Maybe, but you're ridiculously obvious about it now." She commented and he chuckled.

"So are _you_." He countered and she nodded.

"I'm not going to be who you cheat with." She declared bluntly. "I don't know her that well, but I respect Daisy and I respect your children." She stated seriously and he nodded.

"Okay." He relented. "I see your point." He agreed.

"I'll still be your friend." She said. "But anything else will have to wait." She added and he sighed.

"But you're still going to go out with that headmaster, aren't you?" He muttered.

"I'm doing that for _you_." She blurted and he looked startled because he couldn't possibly see how that could be.

"What? Why?" He questioned.

"You don't make a very good first impression." She pointed out and he cocked an eyebrow at that. "After what Charlotte said about his reputation, I thought that if I'm seen with a respectable man with a good reputation it'll be good for _your _reputation." She explained and his jaw dropped at her being totally genius about it – not that he liked it, because he definitely didn't considering, he didn't give a crap what his reputation was. "Daisy told me that because you've chosen me as your personal councillor, _my _actions reflect on you and soon it'll be a matter of public record, so this made sense in general." She added and he looked stunned.

"That's so… logical." He said confused and she smirked.

"The royal politics thing is a lot like an enhanced version of high school politics and I was _awesome _at that." She winked and he chuckled.

"I made the right decision choosing you." He said and she smiled.

"I promised you that I'd help you with all of this and I meant it." She responded and he nodded.

"I know. Still don't like the headmaster thing." Damon stated and she giggled.

"It's not forever. Just be patient." She bid and he smirked.

"I don't do patience very well." He stated.

"You're just going to have to." She countered and he nodded.

"Just one more thing." He started.

"What?" She asked staring up into his eyes. Instead of replying and before she could stop him, he cupped her cheek and kissed her. She kissed him back because she couldn't help it and he was sure that he was going to be the one to swoon and fall over this time. Moments later Caroline pulled away and blinked a couple of times for coherence and Damon flashed her a grin because he'd been dying to do that already. "And that's the last kiss you get. You're not doing that all the time." She warned and he smirked.

"Yes, Satyana, I know." He winked and she rolled her eyes at him being an idiot as usual. "Needed to have something to think about while you're off with the stupid headmaster." He commented and she sighed.

"Yeah, yeah. Go away, so I can make your kids lunch." She muttered and he snickered. "And for God's sake, don't tell Noelle." She warned and he shot her an amused look.

"Why not?" He teased.

"Because she's already bugging me about you and I don't need her to make up more 'Dad wants to talk to you about the ascension' stuff." She replied dryly and his eyes widened.

"You knew that she did that?" Damon tested – kind of embarrassed, in all honesty. He really didn't need his daughter matchmaking.

"I didn't until I saw on your face that you clearly knew nothing about it." Caroline said and he chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"I won't tell her." He promised.

"Good." She approved then opened the cupboard and took out the bourbon then handed it to him.

"What's this for?" He asked.

"You obviously told her that you were coming down for more." She replied and he smirked at the fact that she clearly knew him well already.

"Do you want help?" He offered cheekily and she shot him a look for _still _trying to flirt.

"No, the potatoes will have to bake for a while, so there isn't anything to do after I put them in until they're ready." She denied.

"Alright." He replied, shot her a smile then disappeared back upstairs with his bottle and Caroline banged her head off the fridge at the fact he totally _kissed _her. She refused to be that girl and she cared about Daisy already and wasn't going to do it to her. She made a decision there and then to _only _be friends with Damon and nothing more. Maybe one day in the future if Daisy was with someone else then they could maybe be more but she certainly wasn't ever going to be his 'mistress'. Not a chance.

* * *

><p>They ate lunch then Noelle and Caroline took the two kids to the pool and they were joined shortly by Bonnie. Daisy had been showing Bonnie a few things in the city before her return home. They were lounging around the pool and just after 5pm, Caroline's Dark Dimension cell phone rang. She didn't have the number saved, so she guessed who was calling.<p>

"Hello?" She answered.

"_Caroline, it's Tomer Brown._" He said and Noelle shot her a grin for that because she thought that even his _voice _was hot.

"Hi, Tomer, how are you?" Caroline smiled.

"_I'm very well, thank you. And you?_" He enquired.

"Same here." Caroline replied pleased.

"_I looked into tomorrow evening and there is a gala for the new exhibit at the museum, if you'd like to go with me?_" He asked.

"I'd love to." Caroline agreed.

"_Shall I pick you up at the palace at 7pm then?_" He tested and in his tone it was obvious that he was delighted.

"Perfect." Caroline approved.

"_Wonderful. I'll see you tomorrow then._" He said.

"You will. Bye, Tomer." Caroline smiled then hung up.

"Lucky bitch." Noelle quipped and both she and Bonnie laughed at Noelle's immediate reaction.

"Where are you going with him?" Bonnie asked with a smile.

"A gala at the museum." Noelle replied because she'd _obviously _been totally eavesdropping.

"What should I wear to that?" Caroline asked Noelle.

"Go down to the seamstress and tell her that you need a dress for a gala. She'll give you suggestions. I'm not really the 'gala' type, so I don't know." Noelle replied amused and they laughed because they could imagine her getting up to all sorts of mischief at a gala.

* * *

><p>That evening they had dinner in the palace dining room with Daisy, Charlotte, Damon and Ric.<p>

"Oh, I forgot to ask you this yesterday." Daisy said to Caroline. "My Amissa was wondering if you wanted to join her for dinner tomorrow night at her apartment. She can tell you about the personal councillor role." She added.

"No, she has her date with super sexy Headmaster Brown tomorrow night." Noelle grinned and Daisy flashed her a smile.

"But I'd still love to do that with her." Caroline responded.

"Then I'll tell her to make it another night." Daisy confirmed pleased. "Where is he taking you?"

"The museum gala." Caroline answered and Daisy smiled.

"That'll be lovely." Daisy commented. Damon was trying to look as indifferent as possible because he was totally jealous. "Is he picking you up here?" She asked and Caroline nodded. "I'll inform the guard at the gate that he'll be coming, so that he's allowed to enter." She offered.

"Thank you." Caroline smiled.

"You're totally going to introduce me, right?" Noelle smirked and they snickered.

"Only if you promise not to call him 'super sexy Headmaster Brown'." Caroline countered amused and they laughed.

"Would I do such a thing?" Noelle smirked.

"Yes." Caroline smirked back and they laughed because Noelle totally _would _and they all knew it.

"Fine, I promise I won't." Noelle confirmed tickled. "But you're going to see if he has hot friends for me, right?" She tested and they chortled.

"Right." Caroline winked at her and she grinned. "Though, they won't know what hit them." She teased and everyone at the table laughed loudly at that...

* * *

><p>AN: I'd love to hear your comments! :D


	21. Royal Ideas

I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

A/N: Sorry about the delay. Hopefully there won't be another one.

* * *

><p>His Secrets<p>

Chapter 21

* * *

><p>The following morning on the Friday, Caroline went into the playroom as always and there sat Daisy, Charlotte and Damon.<p>

"Caroline!" Jonah exclaimed then bolted over to her. She giggled then bent down and hugged him tightly while Damon, Daisy and Charlotte chuckled a little at him being so happy to see her.

"Did you sleep well, handsome?" She smiled at him.

"No, I had a nightmare." He told her and the other three were surprised because he hadn't told _them _about his nightmare.

"Oh, no!" Caroline said concerned. "What about?" She asked him.

"I dreamt that you went away and never came back." He said to her sadly with wide innocent eyes and her heart kind of broke. Damon, Daisy and Charlotte glanced at each other slightly amused that Jonah was so attached to her already.

"Well, you don't have to worry about that, little prince." Caroline assured.

"Why?" He asked her innocently.

"Because I'm going to go get the rest of my stuff tomorrow then move into the apartment permanently." She said and he grinned at her.

"Really?" He exclaimed delighted and they all chuckled a little at him being so happy.

"Really." Caroline confirmed with a smile. "Speaking of that. Apparently, there's another party next week and I wanted to know if you'd be my date." She said to him and he beamed at her.

"Yes." He said delighted and she giggled.

"Awesome. You'll get to wear your suit again." She smiled and he grinned.

"Okay!" He said happily and she smiled.

"Good." She winked at him then stood up and looked at the other three who were shooting her amused looks. "_So _keeping him, by the way." Caroline quipped and they laughed loudly.

"I don't think you'd get any objections from him." Daisy teased and Caroline giggled.

"By the way, what's with all of the reporters outside the gate?" Caroline queried and Daisy smirked.

"You haven't seen this morning's newspaper, have you?" Daisy asked.

"No." Caroline replied hesitantly. Daisy stood up and went over to the table then held up the newspaper so that Caroline could see the front page and her jaw practically hit the floor. A huge picture of her dancing with Jonah graced the cover and the headline read, '_The Royal Satyana: Spectacular __**and **__Sweet._' "But… I… How… But…" Caroline stuttered and blinked rapidly and Daisy, Charlotte and Damon were shaking with laughter at the fact she was so _shocked_.

"The reporters are there because they want to interview you." Charlotte smiled and Caroline looked stunned.

"_Me_? Why would they want to interview _me_?" Caroline asked truly shell-shocked.

"Because not _only _did you make a wonderful impression on the dignitaries, that dress suited you so perfectly that you truly looked exquisite. You are exactly the kind of royal that the public want to know everything about." Daisy smirked pleased that she'd chosen Caroline to be the Satyana as any good press for the royals was excellent for Daisy.

"Are there more pictures in there? What could they possibly have to say about me?" Caroline asked confused. "I mean, there were a few photographers and reporters around when Noelle and I were out and they took some pictures and asked some questions but Noelle said that's normal." She rambled.

"There're a couple of quotes from dignitaries about you and the rest of it just writes about the event and the small titbit I told the press about Bonnie." Daisy replied and Caroline nodded. Daisy handed her the newspaper and she took a seat then opened it. There were photos of everyone, not just her. The one of her, Damon and Ric was in it too.

"My favourite line was, 'Our wise Queen knew what she was doing when she selected the Satyana.'" Charlotte commented and Daisy and Damon snickered at that.

"So… uh… what do I do?" Caroline asked Daisy wide-eyed.

"It's up to you, sweetie. But if you don't give them something, they'll just follow you around everywhere you go like they do with me." Daisy commented and Caroline thought about that.

"Hmm…" Caroline hummed.

"What are you thinking?" Charlotte queried.

"Might be better to give them what they want, instead of them having to seek it. I don't really want details of my life in Mystic Falls to be public knowledge considering my mother is human." Caroline mumbled as she read the article.

"That's a good idea." Daisy approved and Caroline looked through the newspaper then on the back page at the bottom, she saw a number for the newspaper in small font at the bottom.

"How do I introduce myself?" Caroline asked.

"You mean if you're saying who you are?" Daisy asked and Caroline nodded. "You say that you are The Royal Satyana." She said.

"Okay. Is the newspaper owned privately?" Caroline queried as there was only one newspaper in that city.

"No, by shareholders. It is run by a man called Reginald Harris." Daisy replied and Caroline nodded as she thought about that.

"Why?" Damon asked sceptically.

"I'm just going to give him a little call. I'll be back." Caroline said then hurried out of the room to go get her phone.

"What's calling him going to do?" Damon cocked an eyebrow at Daisy.

"I don't know, sweetie. She always seems to have good ideas though, so I'm sure she has a good plan." Daisy responded.

* * *

><p>About fifteen minutes later, Caroline re-entered the playroom with a smile on her face.<p>

"Did you call him?" Daisy queried.

"Yes." Caroline smiled.

"And?" Damon pushed as Caroline took a seat.

"And we made a deal." Caroline replied. "He wants to interview me personally, so I agreed that he could call my number and make an appointment to interview me whenever he wants on the understanding that I'm not followed around by reporters. I told him if he can't stick to that then the deal is off and he gets squat, so he promised that no reporters or photographers would follow me." Caroline smirked and they laughed in disbelief that she'd gotten such a good deal.

"That's excellent." Daisy grinned. "That way, also, you can control what people know about you." She smiled.

"I just…" Caroline said. "I don't really mind being followed around or whatever, but I love spending time with Jonah and Valentina and if I'm out with them anywhere, it isn't fair if they have to deal with that, you know?" She asked and they all smiled at her fondly for being so sweet all the time.

"That's very clever though, Caroline." Daisy said pleased. "I hate it when I'm out with the children and I'm photographed." She said and Caroline thought about that.

"Well, he said that you never give interviews, maybe he could get the press to leave you alone when you're out if you gave one every once in a while." Caroline suggested and Daisy looked like she was considering that.

"Would you ask him for me?" Daisy asked and Caroline nodded.

"My appointment with him is the day after tomorrow at noon. Do you want me to say that you'd be willing to give an interview if the photographers and reporters back off from you when you're with your family?" Caroline asked.

"It doesn't bother me if I'm alone or attending something, but if it's a family day in the city or I'm out with one of the children, that's when it irritates me." Daisy commented. "Yes, if you could suggest that and see what he says, that would be wonderful." Daisy smiled.

"Okay, I'll do that." Caroline smiled.

"Why don't you just compel them to leave you alone?" Damon asked and all three women shot him a look.

"Do you really think it's good for the public to think that their Queen would do that?" Caroline questioned and Daisy and Charlotte chuckled.

"Caroline's been with us for a week and she totally gets it. How can you not when you've known me for over a century?" Daisy asked Damon amused and he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, well, you can tell your little reporter dude that if they try it with me, I'll lose my temper." Damon muttered.

"No, Damon. I'm not telling him that." Caroline replied annoyed. "You accepted this position, so get over yourself and accept the responsibilities you now have here." She said irritated and Daisy and Charlotte laughed while Damon looked surprised that she would get so annoyed with him.

"That's you told, Dad." Charlotte smirked and Damon chuckled.

"You really will make a perfect councillor." Daisy grinned at her and Caroline smiled.

"I don't mean it in a bad way, I just think that there are so many great things that Damon can accomplish in his soon-to-be princely role." Caroline said.

"Like?" Damon asked sceptically and Caroline shrugged.

"I have a list of stuff to tell you about already." Caroline smirked and they laughed loudly – of course she did.

"Like what? I'd love to hear it too." Daisy smiled at her widely.

"Like…" Caroline thought about it. "When Noelle, Bonnie and I took Valentina into the city the other day, we were in a store and the sales girls were gossiping about a woman they knew that is human and she has a human husband and children. He was sent to a cell in the hell dimension and he's going to be there for the next five years. He worked full time, she worked part-time and looked after the children the rest of the time but with the loss of his wage, they got kicked out of their home for not being able to pay the rent. So, I went to the library to read over the help available and there isn't a system in place for things like that." Caroline said.

"Why should they get help?" Damon queried. "The guy's clearly in the hell dimension for a reason." He pointed out and Caroline nodded.

"You've been in the hell dimension before." Caroline pointed out and he rolled his eyes.

"Yes, and I deserved it." Damon replied.

"While that may be true, if you were a regular human guy, not a future prince, and you had a wife and a family, would it be fair for your wife and family to suffer because _you _made a mistake?" Caroline asked and Damon looked surprised.

"You make an excellent point, Caroline." Daisy smiled as it was _exactly _this kind of thing that she'd been hoping to hear. "What do you suggest?" She asked.

"Well, the reason they got kicked out was because their children were really little and the mom couldn't work extra hours because there was nobody to look after the kids." Caroline started. "My suggestion is that there are probably _lots _of people in similar situations, so, there could maybe be a type of facility put in place for childcare, but I was thinking that the mothers in situations like that could work at the facility, so the children are being looked after but the mothers still get the chance to work. Then to fund it, other families that can afford childcare can send their children there and pay for it, but for example the people that work there, a perk of the job could be that _their _children can be there for free." Caroline said.

"Okay, but not every mother would have the skills or the background to look after other people's children." Damon pointed out.

"I know. But if the facility had reasonable prices, then single parents or parents' who need both incomes, could send their children there and still work." Caroline replied. "We could even cut the costs of salaries and make it a voluntary thing." She said.

"I'd volunteer." Charlotte smiled.

"I have to say, Caroline, I love the idea of that." Daisy smiled. "Could you write me up a proposal that I can take to my next meeting with the city council?" She asked.

"Of course." Caroline grinned. "When's your meeting so that I can make sure it's ready?" She asked.

"On Monday afternoon." Daisy replied.

"Okay, I'll definitely make sure I have it ready for you. Ric and I talked about it briefly, so if he can stop mooning over Charlotte for five minutes, he can help me with that." Caroline quipped and Daisy and Damon laughed loudly while Charlotte blushed.

"Ric's into this idea too?" Damon queried and Caroline nodded.

"We talked about a couple of things already, actually." She agreed.

"What else?" Daisy grinned.

"Well, remember that guy at the hearing who'd been convicted like six times for the same thing?" Caroline asked and Daisy thought about it.

"The third accused?" Daisy asked.

"Right." Caroline agreed. "Ric and I talked about it and were wondering what you'd think of a counselling service being added to their punishments after they've completed their time in the hell dimension to try and find out if there's some kind of underlying psychological reason for lashing out and misbehaving. I know some people wouldn't benefit from that but for those like that guy, it might help him _stop _repeatedly breaking the same laws." Caroline replied.

"You want to send hell dimension criminals to a _shrink_?" Damon asked amused and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Sometimes people lash out because of personal problems, does that sound _familiar_?" Caroline glared at him and he smirked while Daisy and Charlotte snickered because they loved that Caroline was so blunt with Damon and called him on his crap.

"I really like that idea too. Though, to instate something like that, I need another proposal for that as well." Daisy said and Caroline nodded.

"It was Ric's idea, so he'll have more information about it. I'll let him know." Caroline smiled.

"Excellent. Thank you so much for thinking of these things." Daisy said sincerely. "I was hoping for fresh ideas from you and Ric." She added pleased.

"I'll let you know if I hear of anything else when I'm out." Caroline smiled. "Clearly Damon thinks all of my ideas are stupid, so I'll just talk to you if that's okay?" She asked Daisy and she and Charlotte chuckled.

"I didn't say that they were stupid." Damon replied and Caroline shot him a look.

"Yes, that's great, Caroline." Daisy smiled at her.

"What are you doing today?" Charlotte asked her.

"I was going to pack up the stuff from my room and take it over to the apartment. Noelle's packing hers today too." Caroline said.

"You can have one of the staff take your things over." Daisy suggested.

"Oh… uh… it's okay. It's not much anyway." Caroline smiled and they chuckled at the fact she didn't want to inconvenience anyone.

"Oh, Caroline, I forgot. There was something I wanted to run by you." Daisy said.

"Go ahead." Caroline smiled.

"Now that you are in the Dark Dimension public eye, it would be good to up your protection a little." Daisy said surprising her. "I wanted to know if you would allow me to compel you to be resistant to all other compulsion, as any skin walker could compel you as could some vampires." She said and Caroline nodded.

"Yes, of course." Caroline agreed immediately as she could understand the need for that.

"Now?" Daisy queried.

"Sure." Caroline agreed. Daisy's eyes turned fire red then Caroline's expression went blank.

"From this point on, you can no longer be compelled by anyone other than me." Daisy compelled then let it go.

"Thank you." Caroline said.

"Not at all. It's for your safety." Daisy replied and Caroline smiled and nodded. Jonah wandered over and looked up at Caroline.

"Care?" He asked.

"What, handsome?" Caroline smiled at the little boy and he blushed every time she talked to him.

"Would you like help moving your things?" He asked her and Caroline grinned at him – Daisy and Charlotte were totally 'aww-ing' in their heads at him being such a little gentleman.

"You want to help me, little prince?" Caroline smiled and he blushed and nodded.

"Yes." He replied.

"I'd love that." Caroline agreed. "Would you like to do something fun after that?" She asked and he grinned and nodded.

"Like what?" He asked her.

"Hmm…" She thought about it. "When I was at the supermarket yesterday, I bought you some finger paints and poster paper if you want to paint?" She asked him and he beamed at her while the other three smiled surprised that she seemed to constantly think of Jonah.

"That sounds fun!" He exclaimed happily.

"Is that okay?" Caroline asked Damon and Daisy who both nodded.

"Can I join you?" Charlotte asked.

"Of course." Caroline smiled. "Though, wear something that you don't mind getting covered in paint." Caroline said amused and they chuckled. "Does Jonah need other clothes to paint in?" She enquired.

"No, it's fine." Daisy assured. "Kids get covered in stuff. It's normal." She said and Caroline smiled.

"Shall we then?" Caroline asked Jonah with a grin.

"Yes." He beamed back at her and they could all see how delighted he was at getting to spend time with her.

"Come and give me a hug." Daisy requested. Jonah ran over to her and hugged her and she kissed his cheek. "Be good." She requested.

"I will, mama." He smiled then moved over to Damon and hugged him too. "Bye!" Jonah smiled then hurried over to Caroline and took her hand and Daisy and Damon chuckled at how cute he was.

"See you later." Caroline smiled.

"Have fun." Daisy winked at her.

"We will!" Jonah grinned and they chuckled then Caroline, Jonah and Charlotte left the room.

"And now I have nothing to do today." Damon muttered and Daisy looked at him curiously.

"Why don't you go with them then?" Daisy asked.

"Barbie is clearly pissed at me today." Damon pointed out and Daisy sighed.

"Caroline is trying so hard with all of us, she's trying so hard to be a good Satyana for you, she makes effort constantly with _everything_, she and Ric clearly sat and talked about how they could help us and you shot down both of their ideas. They are both _fantastic _ideas. You probably hurt her feelings." Daisy replied and Damon scowled at nothing in particular. "_I _know that you have no interest in being a royal, hence why I'm not asking you to take on joint responsibilities with me, but you made it clear that you want them involved, yet when they tried to help… you just don't _care_. It's quite unfair of you to be like that when _they _are trying and you are not." Daisy said and he sighed.

"I told you that I don't want to be the Prince." Damon muttered.

"Well, regardless, Caroline is an asset to the monarchy and I am very pleased to have her here. I will deal with her and Alaric's suggestions in future." Daisy said and he shot her a look.

"Why?" He asked irritated.

"Because you don't care." Daisy replied and he shot her a look.

"It's not that I don't _care_, Daisy." Damon replied.

"Then what is it?" She asked.

"I shouldn't be in a position of power. I don't see what's good for people, I don't think of things that could benefit others… I don't know _how _to do this job." Damon said and she gave him a warm smile.

"It's not something that you instantly are good at, Damon. I was a Queen-in-waiting for hundreds of years before I succeeded my father. I was practically running the Dark Dimension for almost two hundred years before he stepped down as the King. You have no experience with it yet and that's okay. Nobody is asking you to just suddenly know what you're doing." Daisy soothed. "But if you want to learn, I'll help you."

"Caroline seems to know what she's doing." He grumbled and Daisy smiled.

"But Caroline is a very people-oriented person. She thinks of others instantly before she thinks of herself. Bonnie told me about how she practically ran her school and several committees in Mystic Falls. She did charity work and she spent several years taking care of her little cousin. She has experience with all of this. That is another reason I am so pleased for Jonah to be spending time with her because she will teach him things that I don't have time to teach him. She will be a true friend to him when you know already that he will have a hard time in school because he is… different." Daisy said and Damon scowled at her.

"Anyone gives Jonah a hard time and I'll murder them." Damon retorted and she rolled her eyes.

"Did you ignore everything else I said?" Daisy asked.

"No." He sighed. "She's wonderful. I know. Everybody knows." He mumbled.

"You should apologise to her for shooting down her ideas." Daisy pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah." Damon muttered…

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><p>AN: Any requests for character interactions would be appreciated :)


	22. Mr Perfect in a Fire Cell

I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

A/N: Sorry about the long wait! I've been nominated for an Energize WIP Award and would be thrilled if you have a moment to vote :D The link is on my profile!

Hope you like the chapter :)

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><p>His Secrets<p>

Chapter 22

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><p>In the early afternoon, there was a knock on Caroline's door, so she hurried downstairs from where they were on her balcony. She opened the door and she was surprised to see Damon there. He chuckled at the sight of her as her top, jeans and hands were covered in paint and she had little flecks on her cheeks and forehead.<p>

"I think you missed the paper." Damon quipped and she shrugged.

"Happens." She replied. "What do you want?" She asked curtly and he sighed.

"I'm sorry for being a dick." He replied and she looked surprised. "Can you go back to liking me now?" He smiled at her fake-innocently and she chuckled.

"Fine." She replied rolling her eyes at the fact she was unable to stay mad at Damon. "I was just about to run down to the supermarket, can you watch Jonah for five minutes?" She asked and he looked at her sceptically.

"You're going to the supermarket covered in paint?" He asked and she shrugged.

"I really don't care." She replied and he laughed a little at that.

"Why are you going?" He asked.

"We're on our last two poster papers and he's really enjoying it, so, I thought I'd go get more." She said.

"There's an art room in the palace with tons of paper." He said.

"Oh." She said surprised. "Well, where is it and I'll run there?" She asked and he smirked at her.

"I'll go." He offered.

"You don't have to do that." She said surprised at his offer.

"I'm trying to get back on your good side." He winked at her and she giggled.

"Oh, well in that case, poster sized would be great." She smirked and he shot her an amused look.

"I'll be back." He said and she nodded.

"Just come in when you get back." She bid.

"Alright." He agreed then he left and she closed the door but didn't lock it then hurried back up to Jonah.

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><p>Damon wandered out onto Caroline's balcony and saw that she'd put down plastic all over the floor of the balcony so that the paint wouldn't stain the tile. She and Jonah were sitting on the floor painting away and Damon had a stack of poster papers in his hand.<p>

"Hi, Daddy!" Jonah exclaimed happily and Damon smiled at him.

"What are you painting?" Damon inquired.

"A table and chairs." Jonah replied and Damon smirked – he was certain that one day Jonah would be some type of engineer or architect or something because he was constantly building or modelling something.

"Cool. I brought more paper for when you're done." Damon informed while setting down the pile on the table.

"Thanks, Daddy!" Jonah grinned and Damon chuckled.

"You're welcome, son." Damon replied. "Where's Charlotte?" He asked.

"She went out to have a date with Alaric." Jonah replied and Damon snickered at that.

"Is that so?" He asked amused and Jonah nodded.

"Doesn't bother you, right?" Caroline asked as Damon sat down on a chair.

"Nope." Damon shrugged. "They're actually a good match for each other. They have a lot in common. Doesn't really surprise me, in all honesty." He added.

"You should really get Valley a cell phone." Caroline commented out of the blue.

"Why?" Damon asked surprised.

"Because if she had one, I could text her and ask how her first day is going." Caroline mumbled and Damon chuckled at the fact she clearly already cared a lot about Valentina.

"I'm sure it's going fine." Damon replied.

"Daddy?"

"What Jonah?" Damon asked amused.

"You know when you were talking to Ellie earlier?" Jonah asked and Damon cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Yes." Damon replied.

"Why did you tell her that you would put Valley's headmaster in the hell dimension?" Jonah asked innocently and Damon chuckled half embarrassed half in disbelief and was sure he was blushing while Caroline shot him a highly amused smirk for that.

"Yeah, Damon? Why did you tell her that?" Caroline asked with a devious glint in her eye and he covered his eyes with his hand and couldn't stop chuckling – he couldn't _believe _Jonah asked him that _in front _of Caroline! He was so mortified!

"I didn't say that." Damon replied.

"Yes, you did. You said that he is an ass and that he could be Mr Perfect in a fire cell." Jonah said innocently and Damon seriously wanted to disappear while Caroline laughed in disbelief.

"Jonah, can you just forget that, please?" Damon asked him.

"Is he a bad man, Daddy?" Jonah asked innocently and Damon felt kind of bad.

"No, he's not a bad man, handsome." Caroline interjected. "Your Daddy just says things sometimes because he's being silly." She said and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Oh." Jonah replied as he thought about that.

"Can I talk to you for a sec?" Caroline asked Damon who sighed.

"Fine." He muttered.

"Just one minute, sweetie." She said to Jonah who smiled and nodded. Caroline stood up then walked into the apartment and Damon followed her down to her bedroom and she closed the door behind him.

"In the bedroom?" He smirked at her and she crossed her arms over her chest and shot him a look.

"Damon… are you out of your mind?" She glared at him and he looked at her confused.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Jonah repeats everything he hears. He's a child. Children do that. What if he goes and tells Daisy that?" Caroline asked him seriously and he sighed.

"I'm going to talk to Daisy and end things permanently anyway." He replied and she shot him a disbelieving look.

"That is not the point." Caroline replied. "She is the mother of your children, for God's sake. Don't you have any respect for her?" She asked.

"Yes, Caroline, I respect her, but I also know that this whole 'back together' thing is a bunch of crap like it always is. I've kissed _you _more times than her since we came here." He said surprising her. "We are not a _couple_. It took a serious conversation with Noelle for me to finally realise it. None of those times that we were together were real. It was just me being a father to my children and not being able to do anything because I was 'back together' with Daisy – yet, she does whatever the hell she wants _with _whoever the hell she wants and this time, I'm not buying it." Damon replied.

"So… you're punishing her by suddenly having some kind of little crush on _me_?" Caroline asked him and his jaw dropped.

"No!" He said shocked. "Not remotely. You… that's got nothing to do with Daisy. And I'd hardly say that it was a _little crush_." He said. "My point is that the only reason that she wants to be 'back together' is so that I'll complete the ascension. She doesn't want to be a singular ruler anymore. It's got nothing to do with any kind of romantic feelings between us." He stated seriously. "That's not real… this _is_." He said motioning between them and she stared at him.

"I am _not _going to be your mistress, Damon." Caroline cautioned.

"You wouldn't be." He refuted.

"We'll see." Caroline replied.

"What do you mean?" He asked confused.

"I mean that I've been seriously hurt by you before and I'm not going there with you again for that to just happen all over again." She said and he winced. "All of this is a mess." She said. "End things properly with Daisy if that's what you're going to do, then in time if you still feel the same then we'll see what happens… but I'm happy here, Damon." She said softly. "I _love _your family. They are so amazing. This dimension is like paradise. I'm not screwing that up for a five minute romance with you that you'll get bored of in like two weeks when someone else takes your fancy." She said and he swallowed.

"I deserve that." He nodded. "I'll prove it to you." He said.

"Don't bother proving anything until you are a _single _man with no complications." Caroline countered.

"Alright." He accepted.

"And stop saying stupid things like you're going to throw the headmaster in the hell dimension." She added irritated.

"I'm jealous." He stated bluntly and she sighed.

"There's nothing to be jealous _of_. It's not a competition." Caroline replied.

"Yet _he _is the one going on a date with you." Damon pointed out dryly.

"It's a museum gala, not a weekend in a hotel suite." Caroline retorted and he scowled at nothing in particular at the thought of her going to some hotel with the guy. "You don't know the guy, so stop being mean about him." She added and he stepped up in front of her.

"Then kiss me." He bid and her jaw clenched.

"I can't." She denied.

"You have a big heart and if this guy is really as perfect as my daughters and Daisy say, then you'll no doubt end up with feelings for him." Damon countered. "Both times we kissed… I kissed _you_." He said and she swallowed.

"What has that got to do with anything?" She asked quietly.

"It's got to do with the fact I'm totally falling for you and you're going out with some perfect guy." He said and she gulped at the first part. "So, kiss me." He said softly. "Show me that there's the tiniest chance." He said staring into her eyes and she felt like she'd totally melted.

"Damon…" She whispered.

"Please?" He whispered back and she really couldn't deny him anymore.

"I'm covered in paint." She said.

"I don't care." He replied and she felt really nervous all of a sudden. She moved a step closer to him, not breaking eye contact then she leaned forward and brushed her lips softly against his. He put his hands on her sides and her arms went around his neck. His tongue caressed her lips asking for permission then she opened her mouth slightly and let him deepen it. Their tongues mingled as they kissed deeply and they both got lost in each other. Damon's hands slid under her top to touch her skin then moved around to her back and he pulled her flush against him. Caroline was so lost in the feeling of him but she knew that it had to stop – this couldn't continue, so she started to pull back. She stared into his eyes for a moment then he crashed his lips back to her and pulled her into him again and she couldn't help responding – it just felt _so _right. When his hands slid up her sides, she had to pull away.

"Damon… Jonah's on the balcony." She panted unnecessary breath and Damon looked surprised.

"Oh, right." He panted a little himself.

"You're covered in paint." She commented stepping out of his arms and he smirked.

"Totally worth it." He winked and her stomach fluttered then they heard the front door open and close and Caroline gulped.

"You need to go change. That's so obvious." She whispered motioning to his shirt and he cracked a chuckle.

"Or… you could go tell Noelle that you want to have a shower and she'll watch Jonah since you have a soundproof button." Damon smirked and her eyes widened.

"Are you out of your mind?" She whispered shocked and he chuckled then kissed her a peck on the lips.

"What's so crazy?" He asked her. "After a kiss like that?" He asked and she shot him a look.

"Noelle will hear you." Caroline whispered and he looked at her amused then walked over to the bed and pushed the button on the wall.

"Not now, she won't." He said and her jaw dropped.

"Damon, this is wrong." She urged him and he moved back over to her.

"No, it isn't. You felt it. I know you did." He replied.

"Fine, Damon." She said annoyed. "Yes, it feels right, but it doesn't matter how it feels." She said.

"Why?" He pushed.

"Because how could this even work?" She asked him. "Have you thought about that? If I go tell Noelle that and come back, then what?" She asked and he stared at her. "What do you _want_ from me?" She asked. "You want me to sneak around with you? Sneak you into my bedroom for an affair?" She asked. "I _can't _do that." She said seriously. "You are the _Ascension Prince _married to the _Queen_. We can't just do whatever we want anymore." She pushed and he sighed.

"When I end things with Daisy forever then it wouldn't be like that." He said.

"Then you'll just have to wait until you do." Caroline said. "Now, go change." She instructed.

"Fine." He smirked. He leaned forward and pecked her a kiss on the lips.

"Stop that." She shot him a look and he chuckled.

"Why? Because you like it?" He teased then disappeared as he teleported and Caroline slapped her hand to her forehead… which only covered her forehead in paint and she groaned then hurried out of her room back to the balcony where Noelle was standing talking to Jonah.

"Hey… wow, think you missed the paper." Noelle teased and Caroline giggled.

"Yeah… uh… I forgot I had paint on my hand." She said motioning to her forehead and Noelle smirked and nodded – then caught her scent. She stepped forward and smelled her then her eyes widened.

"Oh my God!" Noelle grinned and Caroline groaned. "Tell me everything!" She said happily.

"Noelle." Caroline made eyes at Jonah and Noelle nodded.

"Later." Noelle said and her expression conveyed that there would be no arguing about that.

"This is so bad." Caroline muttered and Noelle stared into her eyes.

"I'm not going to tell anyone, Care." Noelle said sincerely and Caroline gulped. She nodded but she couldn't help tears forming in her eyes.

"Can you watch Jonah? I need to go shower." Caroline sniffed then turned on her heel and hurried back to her room. Noelle's eyes widened at the fact Caroline was obviously upset about it and she asked Jonah to stay there and she'd be back in a minute. She hurried after Caroline and let herself into her bedroom and found Caroline sitting on her bed crying into her hand.

"Care, what's wrong?" Noelle asked concerned as she closed the door.

"I can't talk to you about this." Caroline sobbed.

"Yeah, you can. He might be my dad but you're already my best friend. I won't say anything to anyone. Not even him." Noelle said soothingly as she crouched down in front of her.

"Noelle… I _love _it here in this dimension. I… at home in Mystic Falls, my mother ignored me, my dad left, my friends always excluded me and I was never just accepted for me… but here… I already feel so at home here. I love this place." She sobbed.

"And we love having you here." Noelle said softly.

"But Damon's really pushing this." Caroline sobbed. "He doesn't seem to understand that he can't just do whatever the hell he wants anymore. He's married to the _Queen_… he's about to ascend… but he's chasing me and we _can't _be together. He doesn't get that. He keeps kissing me and yesterday he gave me crap about going out with Tomer asking if I'm trying to make him jealous… but I'm _not_. I _can't _fall in love with the Prince of the Dark Dimension. You're mother's been nothing but kind to me but he keeps kissing me and I feel so guilty." She sobbed and Noelle gave her a sad look.

"I love my mother, but she treats my dad like crap. I've _never _seen my dad light up the way he does when he's around you. He shouldn't be pushing you but I can kind of understand why he is." Noelle replied.

"Why?" Caroline asked with a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Because he doesn't want to lose you. My dad's been treated like crap since he was a child by everyone and most of his life's been a misery… but you make him _happy_. Being around you makes him feel joy. I understand that because you do the same thing for me. You accept me with no conditions. The only other person who's ever done that for me is my dad. I know that's how he feels too." Noelle said softly and Caroline sniffed.

"But Damon walks away from what makes him happy." Caroline replied. "When I was human, he told me once that being around me made him feel happy for the first time in a long time… then two days later he tried to drain me dry and would have if Stefan hadn't spiked me with vervain." Caroline said and Noelle's jaw dropped.

"What?" She asked shocked.

"He scares me, Noelle." Caroline whispered. "I'm not afraid that he'll hurt me physically but I'm quite sure that it'll always be Damon that I want… so, he has the power to totally break me." Caroline admitted and Noelle felt really awful for her. "So, going out with some nice normal guy like Tomer appeals to me because he's _safe_. I _know _that he won't hurt me. I'm not ready for Damon. It's too soon. But he won't accept that because he's suddenly decided that he wants me and he has no patience." Caroline added and Noelle gave her a nod.

"I'll tell him to back off. He'll listen to me." Noelle said sincerely.

"There's too much going on. Do you know what I mean?" Caroline asked her.

"Yes, I get it completely." Noelle agreed. "Don't worry about it, Care. I'll fix it, okay?" She said softly.

"Thank you, Noelle." Caroline sniffed.

"What are friends for?" Noelle smiled…

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><p>AN: I was asked for more Caroline/Noelle, so hope you liked it :) And vote pretty please if you have a second :D


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